Children of Solomon
by Otaku of the Century
Summary: Fate wasn't meant to be changed. But a wish made by a young king sends him back in time, resulting four souls from our world to be reborn as influential players to this version of fate. Enter: The Ghost, The Warrior, The Princess, and The Liar as they play the game of politics to help the prince prevent the doomed future he traveled back in time to fix. SI REINCARNATION FIC
1. Prologue: His Wish

Hello! Otaku-sama here!

I'm happy to say that I've fallen completely in love with the manga _Magi_ and was inspired to write a fan fiction for this fandom (cheers)!

Hopefully, you readers will enjoy this fic as I attempt to spin a good enough tale.

Now, without further ado, the Prologue!

* * *

**Children of Solomon**

Prologue: His Wish

* * *

The world was burning.

Shion ignored how his side stung from the burn a magician had inflicted on him earlier in the battle. He shakily got up onto his feet and stumbled towards a glinting object in the dirt.

His bare feet bled from walking on weapons and broken armor. He struggled to breathe as the essences of blood, skin, and smoke accompanied the air in his every breath. He stepped over bodies of enemies and comrades alike. He passed friends, family, and his lover. But he didn't stop. He didn't mourn. How could he when he had not the leisure not time to do such extravagant things? It was war.

It was hell.

Shion was a king, a leader to countless people. They had looked upon him as if he was the next coming King Solomon himself. He was known as a wise ruler, a friend, a son, a dungeon captor, and a lover, but never did he think general, warrior, and murderer would be part of his list of labels.

The war had forced him to become those things.

The man forced himself to move his body to his last hope, ignoring everything else since his comrades' sacrifices would be all for naught if he failed. Shaking hands picked up an old, dirt-covered object that was as common as a table or a chair:

A Lamp

Shion rubbed the dirt off of the common object with what was left of his shirt. The symbol of Solomon glowed faintly when the residue was removed from the artifact. Shion sighed in relief when he saw that the lamp was still active. Time and time again, the lamp had been the object that had saved his life.

This time, it was going to save this world.

This cruel, flawed, bloody, selfish, _beautiful _world

Through chapped lips, Shion rasped, "_Andromalius, I summon thee."_

As always, Andromalius answered his call. The djinn came forth from the lamp and faced his master with an impassive expression on his face. _"O master, what do you wish for?"_ He asked Shion as he had always done in the past. Shion coughed and gave his djinn a sheepish smile. "I guess I couldn't save everyone."

The djinn raised his brow at his master's words but said nothing else in reply. Their interactions were always like this. The king would summon, the djinn would speak the same phrase, and the king would make a wish. End of interaction.

The young king chuckled at his djinn's antics. Even at their final moments, he was too prideful to converse with him. Shion took a shaky breath before saying his final wish.

"_I wish to change this fate."_


	2. Chapter 1: Her Name is Amani

A brief message from Otaku-sama:

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any character in MAGI. NONE! Anything that isn't part of the wonderfully wonderful manga belongs to me. (Seriously, so hands off)

(This is a one time thing. Don't think that I'll do the disclaimer for every single chapter since it's annoying and a waste of typing energy.)

Thank you!

* * *

**Children of Solomon**

Chapter 1: Her Name is Amani

* * *

When Anise discovered her pregnancy, she knew that it was either her job in the palace or her unborn child. A practical woman would have secretly gotten rid of the child. Getting the potion to get rid of it was a bit pricy, but it was better than the consequences that would follow if she were to be found out.

Anise was not a practical woman.

By sunrise, she had packed as much as she could carry and left the palace. By the end of the day, the slums had a newcomer.

Perhaps, if she had chosen a different path, she would have had a long, comfortable life. But fate had decreed her to love her unborn child and love her unborn child she did.

After all, it was the King's child she carried.

* * *

Phoebe Winthrop was an excellent student.

Since both her parents were geniuses, she was expected to be just as bright.

So she met those expectations.

As she walked up the platform to receive her diploma on her graduation day, many had wondered:

_What would she be?_

_A doctor like her mother?_

_A lawyer like her father?_

Many had wondered what she would become. She had so many choices to pick from yet she would only be able to choose one.

_A doctor?_

_A lawyer?_

What would she choose?

Many people had expected great things from Phoebe. They expected her to save people, from injury or injustice. They expected her to lead a long, fortunate life.

Phoebe Winthrop was an excellent student.

_Was_

Since she died.

* * *

Anise stared in awe at the lives in her arms. The whole birthing process was painful, yes, but the result was worth every moment of agony.

A wail came out of the blanket before another wail followed. Embracing her motherly instincts, Anise began rocking her precious children. She assured them that they were safe and murmured endless sweet-nothings until both of them were fast asleep.

Once again, Anise looked at her children with awe and bewilderment.

Twins.

Anise hadn't expected twins.

The baby with the blonde wisp yawned loudly and snuggled against his mother even more. Anise's quizzical frown disappeared at the adorable sight. "Are you tired, little one? Sleep then. Your mother will take care of you."

She turned to her other child.

Unlike her brother, the other infant had far fairer skin and paler, almost white, hair. It was almost as if she was a mere reflection of her twin. So far she had only cried once. She was a quiet baby, which worried Anise. Did this mean her daughter wouldn't survive the slums?

The infant wiggled a little and then kicked, surprising Anise with her strength.

"Are you telling me that you will be strong?" She wondered aloud. The infant gave another kick as if to answer her mother's question. Anise smiled. "You _will_ be strong. As will your brother."

Anise stroked her daughter's cheek fondly. "I am fortunate to have both healthy children."

"Who am I to deserve such luck?"

* * *

Rebirth was a fickle thing.

It's like gambling or roulette. Whatever person, whatever gender you will be reborn as is all by chance. A good person could be reborn as the unluckiest human being in the world. A bad person could live a life filled with luxury and riches.

It's all by chance. There are no favors or exception for any mortal.

So that's why, when Phoebe Winthrop opened her eyes, she wasn't smart, eighteen year old Phoebe Winthrop anymore. No, she was a small, defenseless infant only a day old, born in the slums of a foreign city.

_Phoebe Winthrop was dead._

Naturally, she freaked out.

Where was she? Why was her body like this? How is she still alive? Who was that woman? What was that thing beside her? Why couldn't she move? How can't she say anything? Why was she crying? Why was it so humid?

Why was it so humid?

"Shhh, Shhh, love. I'm here. Mother is here."

The foreign voice automatically calmed the newborn's body and temporarily calmed her buzzing mind. It was then when the newborn girl who used to be Phoebe Winthrop accessed her situation with the calm and sharp mind she was lauded for in her past life.

Her body was too small and weak to be her own. Judging by how the woman was handling her, she was recently born.

Even though she understood the woman, she knew that the woman wasn't speaking the English language.

The…thing beside her was another infant. So she was a twin?

The room she was in was no hospital. It looked dusty and seemed to If she were to guess, the woman gave birth to her and her sibling right in the room with no medical aid. The woman was without medical aid because she couldn't afford it. So the woman was poor.

There was no man.

Her mother was a single mother. It didn't matter if her father was dead or was just an affair. Her mother was barely able to support herself. How was she going to support newborn twins?

_Clink._ Ah, jewelry. And pretty jewelry too. Why would the woman keep such expensive-looking jewelry when she couldn't afford to go to a hospital?

The scent in the room was sweet. It was mainly coming from the woman. She wore simple enough clothes but she was still very much beautiful.

Then it all clicked.

_Phoebe Winthrop was dead._

And now, she was reborn as a newborn twin of an unknown ethnicity who had a prostitute for a mother.

Well

It wasn't the best situation, but it wasn't the worst.

"Alibaba." Anise decided for the boy.

"And you, my daughter, will be Amani."

Amani, newly named, blinked owlishly at her mother.

To Anise, it seemed that her daughter simply didn't understand that she and her brother were just named. They were just a day old after all.

In reality, Amani was both attempting to familiarize herself with her name while trying not to gape at her brother's.

* * *

Phoebe was clever, obedient, and quiet.

Whatever book was placed in front of her, she would memorize line by line if it were requested from her. Her classmates were envious of her ability. Her parents accepted this quality as it was: a tool that would push Phoebe's success. Phoebe's parents were strict with how she used her ability. What she placed in her memory banks should only be relevant to her studies. Her parents had drilled it deep into her mind that perfection was the least that was expected of her.

They had expected genius, brilliance.

Phoebe was clever, obedient, and quiet.

But, in rare moments in her life, she was only clever and quiet.

Like the day when she added _A Thousand and One Nights_ in her memory bank purely for enjoyment

* * *

Amani was careful.

She made sure that her brother overshadowed her in every action. Since she was born in a world where women were naturally underestimated, it wasn't that hard.

_Keep your head down. Be invisible._

When Alibaba began to crawl, Amani would do the same the day after. When Alibaba said his first word, Amani would garble out the same word the week after. When Alibaba began to walk, Amani would be toddling after him within a month.

Amani paced herself. While Alibaba did his best to shine, she remained in his shadow and watched him.

She was no longer in her world. As much as the idea completely defied the logic she was taught when she – _Phoebe_ – was alive, Amani had no choice but to accept it.

As long as she kept quiet, her life in this world would pass by quickly without any problems. Alibaba would find the cave filled with treasures and outwit bloodthirsty thieves. The end. And she would have no part in it.

That was what she planned.

_Year One. _She dragged herself around the small space she lived in, an attempt of regaining her ability to walk. Alibaba took months before he actually succeeded. Amani revealed her walking ability a month after, when in reality, she already was able to walk three months before her brother.

_Year Two. _She secretly practiced writing in English on the ground and practiced speaking in English to the cloth walls of her home during her brother's naptimes. Who knew when it would come in handy in the future?

_Year Three._ She wandered outside of her home for the first time. With her brother, she walked the streets that she would eventually know like the back of her hand. She kept a mental list of small jobs she could do to support her mother. Shoe polishing and touring seemed to be a nice career choice for a child.

_Year Four._ She would secretly sneak outside of her home during the nights to watch the stars, noticing similarities and differences in the constellations of this world to the ones of her old world. At least the North Star was still there.

_Year Five. _She learned how to mend and wash clothes, which was useful since Alibaba always came home with dirty and ruined clothes. Though, since he was still a little child, he wore something that resembled a white dress made of rags. Her mother praised her embroidery and, despite her bleeding fingers, Amani felt as if she achieved something great for the first time. Indeed, she was beginning to get good at "blending in".

_Year Six. _But was she really successful?

It was hard to hide. Amani may have been just a child of the slums, but Phoebe was an educated genius with remarkable memory. She walked differently than the other children. She spoke differently than the other children. She expressed her affection differently than the other children. She _looked_ paler and weaker than the other children.

All in all, Amani was simply _different_.

"Hey you! Ghost!"

The loud boy did not help her situation.

Alibaba, who was standing beside her, puffed up in indignation at the insult aimed toward his sister. "Don't call her that!" He cried out defensively. And then, Amani's brother and her offender began a juvenile fistfight in which Alibaba was losing.

Amani shook her head and, at the right moment, grabbed her brother and tugged him out of his adversary's fisted hands while giving the other boy a well-aimed push that made him stumble away. The boy gave her a scathing glare, which she pointedly ignored.

"No more fighting." She reprimanded her brother firmly. "You were losing anyways." She added before her brother could complain.

"B-But that jerk called you-!"

"Ghost." Amani confirmed. "Which is a pretty creative nickname."

The other boy perked up in surprise at her statement. "R-Really?"

"Uh huh. It fits me. I think I'll keep it." Amani said thoughtfully. She glanced at the gaping boy. "You don't mind if I use it, do you?"

"Ah. Sure." The boy just looked gob smacked now.

"Now apologize for picking a fight, Alibaba."

Her brother pouted and looked away. "No!" He cried out stubbornly. "It's not my fault!"

Amani restrained from sighing. Of course, her brother was still five. Technically, she was still five too but mentally…

"Look, I know you did it for me, but I can handle my problems by myself. If I need help, I'll tell you." She told him. "But you have to apologize to-um…sorry, what's your name?"

The boy, who was being ignored until now, stiffened at the sudden attention he was getting. His face flushed in embarrassment at her probing gaze and he dropped his head. "Kassim." He muttered.

"Alibaba, apologize to Kassim."

Alibaba pouted even more.

"Apologize or no dinner."

Of course, she wouldn't let her brother starve, but he was a gullible child and he believed everything she said.

Alibaba's eyes widened comically before he whirled around to Kassim and a quick, "I'm sorry for punching you!" and turned back to Amani nervously. She nodded and patted his head. "Good boy."

Kassim looked at the two with a strange expression on his face that Amani couldn't pinpoint. "Hey…Alibaba, right? Want to join me and my friends on a game of "king of the hill" in Junkyard Street? You can bring your sister too if you want. She can play with my sister Mariam."

"Eh? Really? That sounds fun!" Alibaba cheered.

Amani, on the other hand, was deep in thought.

"_King of the Hill"_

_Junkyard Street_

_Mariam_

_Kassim_

Why did all of this sound so familiar?

* * *

"Mother?"

"Yes, Amani?"

"Where are we?"

"We're in the country of Balbadd, of course. You didn't know?"

What a mistake she made. She wasn't in _A Thousand and One Nights_. Oh no, she was in a _manga_ of all storyline dimensions she could be in.

_My God, I'm in __**Magi**__!"_

* * *

As the twins grew, Anise couldn't help but feel pride for her children.

Her son, Alibaba, was a bright child. Though physically lacking, his creativity and optimism rivaled her own. He had already made friends with many of the other children in the slums. Every day he would come back home bruised, dirty, and grinning. He was a natural leader. He came first. His sister went afterwards. He would be loud and would get into mischief as any other child would. It would be his sister who would get him out of the sticky situations.

Her daughter, Amani, was a quiet one. She would follow her brother around, holding his hand and letting him guide her into whatever he ran towards. Amani was a perceptive one and Anise suspected that her daughter was a genius, very much like her father. The residents of the slum were wary of Amani's intelligence, ignorantly assuming that her genius was some unnatural magic. If Amani noticed the glares that many sent at her way, she did not comment or react. She was so unlike her brother, but she complimented him nicely, supporting him silently.

"Mama! Look! I played 'king of the hill' and I won!" Alibaba crowed, while waving the flag around as if it were gold gifted by the king. "Amani helped with coming up with the tunnel plan. She also told me how to sneak up on Kassim!" He added as an afterthought.

"Amani, is that true?" Anise asked.

Amani shrugged nonchalantly. "Alibaba did most of the work. I only made a few suggestions. The other boys didn't allow me to play anyways."

Most adults would have been uneasy by the blank expression that Amani wore. Anise, who was used to it by now, grinned proudly at her daughter's modesty, knowing that Amani did the majority of the planning. "My two geniuses!" She praised enthusiastically while swooping them up into smothering hugs.

Alibaba whined while Amani waited patiently for the smothering to end.

Ah, how different they were.

Anise quickly pecked Alibaba's head. "My Sun." She then gave her daughter the same treatment. "My Moon."

Yes, as different as the sun and moon.

* * *

"Is your arm okay, man? It looks really bad."

"It's fine! I just tripped."

Amani's perceptive eyes rose at Kassim's answer while Kassim's friends shrugged off the bruise on his face. Even skeptical Alibaba went back to playing.

"That must be quite a fall." She commented lightly as he passed her.

He flinched and glared at her defensively.

"What? Are you saying that I'm lying?"

"Not at all. I was just impressed that the ground managed to bruise your lower back and your face too."

* * *

"Mother?"

"Yes, Amani?"

"Someone is hurting Kassim."

* * *

"Big sister Amani?"

A week before, Amani's family had two new additions: Kassim and Mariam. It was apparent that the latter was attached to the pale girl. Amani didn't mind so much since Mariam wasn't the annoying sort so she allowed the younger girl to follow her around everywhere.

"Yes?"

The younger girl blinked adorably at her idol. In her eyes, Amani was beautiful and graceful in every way. To sum it up, Mariam thought Amani was perfect.

"Do you like big brother Kassim?"

Amani hummed. "I don't _dis_like him so I guess I like him. Why?"

Mariam just giggled giddily and focused right back onto her sewing. Amani stared just a little more before shrugging and doing the same. The two had the wonderful idea of sewing beautiful pictures onto scraps and selling them for a few copper coins.

Currently, Amani was able to scrounge up enough money to buy a whole loaf of bread and five jerky scraps, which was the equivalent of a feast in the slums.

* * *

Anise was dying.

She hid it well from the other children, but she knew that she couldn't escape the shrewd eyes of her genius daughter.

That was why, when Kassim took Mariam and Alibaba to play, Anise pulled Amani out to speak with her alone.

"Mother. It's getting worse, isn't it?"

Anise wasn't surprised that Amani had known what their conversation would be about. She was always a special child. Anise pulled her daughter onto her lap and began to brush back her hair. "Yes, love."

"…You're not going to stay with us for long." It wasn't a question.

Amani was a special child.

So that was why Anise told her the truth. What was there to hide?

"Yes."

Amani bit her lip. "I'll try to find some medicine for you. My sewing improved and tourists are rushing into Balbadd more than usual. I think I'll be able to gather enough to buy the medicine. And if that's not enough, Alibaba and Kassim-

"No!"

Amani flinched in surprise when Anise raised her voice on her for the first and most likely last time.

Anise made Amani look at her eyes. "They must not know, Amani. I do not want to trouble them on my last days. The money that you will earn would be to feed them and yourself."

"…But-

"_Please_. Do this for Mother."

There was a moment of silence. Then, Amani took Anise's hands. As a foreign expression crossed her face, Anise began to _see_ her daughter. When had her daughter's hands grown that big? That calloused? When had her eyes become so old? So tired? "Don't worry, Mother. I won't tell them if that is your wish."

When had her daughter grown up so quickly?

* * *

Phoebe Winthrop cried countless times in her life. Some were for reasons that she forgot through time. Some were from pain. Some were from anger. All were moments of weakness that she only showed to the walls of her room.

Amani, on the other hand, cried only two times in her seven years of living.

Neither of those times was for her mother's death.

She just stared at the still form of her beautiful mother, knowing that the gentle woman would never have a proper burial.

On the ground was a small pot filled with herbs.

_Too late._ Her mind chanted. _Too late. Too late._

Kassim didn't say anything.

He didn't cry either.

Later, Alibaba would scream at her for not being there for their mother and ignore her for a very long time. Even though they would reconcile with each other a week after, there would be something between them that was broken.

But that would be later.

For now, Amani stared at the reality of the world she was placed in.

_I couldn't save her._

* * *

"Mother?"

"…"

"I'm sorry."

"…"

* * *

Amani and Kassim became closer after Anise's death. It seemed that both had a mutual understanding of what she did. Unlike her naïve twin, Kassim had noticed the signs and how much harder Amani had worked.

That was why, when their mother's body was taken away, Kassim had stood by Amani all night, comforting her as if she were crying. He hugged her and followed her when she went outside to watch the stars.

He didn't say anything. He didn't ask anything. He didn't demand anything.

He was just there with her.

It was the same nights after that. Even after Alibaba reconciled with her, Kassim followed her to the rooftops where they admired the silence of the stars. He never pushed her to tell Alibaba the truth. He never blamed her for being too late. He never questioned why she did what she did.

He was just there with her.

"Kassim, are you going to-?"

"No. I won't tell him. This is between us."

It was ironic how this boy was able to read her better than her own blood brother.

* * *

_I couldn't save her. I can't save you._

A year after Anise's death, Amani would witness Kassim being attacked by his father. She would witness how her small feet weren't able to be there on time _again_. She watched with horror and guilt how Kassim was forced to retaliate.

"Kassim…you have the same dirty blood as me…" The vile man had gurgled out.

But it was Amani who had the final blow. She took the knife from Kassim's shaking hands and finished the man with a clean slash.

_Phoebe Winthrop's mother was a doctor._

_They expected Phoebe to save many people._

"The only one with dirty blood here is just you. See? It's making such a mess."

* * *

They scrubbed their red hands clean with the rainwater.

"Ghost?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because even scum doesn't deserve to suffer."

"Ghost?"

"Yes?"

"Did you-?"

"No. I didn't tell Alibaba. I didn't tell Mariam either."

"Will you-?"

"I won't. This is just between us, remember?"

"…Heh, right."

* * *

A week.

That was all she had before she was dragged from the slums and into the palace. That was all she had before Kassim began resenting Alibaba and possibly her. And she took the limited time graciously and spent it on entertaining Mariam, making sure Kassim was comfortable when he came back home, and frequently nagging Alibaba.

"Thank you for the food, big sister!" _Mariam, who will succumb to an unknown disease two years after we leave…_

"You worked hard." _Kassim, who will later curse his fate and fall into depravity because of his jealousy towards Alibaba…_

"It was great Amani!" _Alibaba, who is fated to shoulder the burden of being the third prince of Balbadd and fated to aid a certain magi…_

Amani could have told them. She could have told them how she knew their futures. She could have warned them of their fates and somehow fix it.

But instead, she smiled at them and asked if they wanted seconds.

A loud chorus of "ME!" filled the tiny tent that the children called their home.

_I couldn't save her. I can't save you. Any of you._

_It's useless to even try._

* * *

"Let's run away."

Amani looked up in surprise when Kassim walked up to her out of the blue and began dragging her away from the direction of their home. She was just coming back home from a long day of work. Kassim's behavior was a little off, putting Amani on an edge. "What happened?"

Kassim's grip on her arm became tighter but he remained focused on what he was doing. He was almost bordering desperate, judging by his body language.

"Kassim? Did you get into trouble? Where's Alibaba?"

Kassim gritted his teeth at her brother's name. By now, Amani's wrist looked red. "Who cares about that idiot? Let's go. Far away."

And then it clicked.

Amani's shoulders slumped. So it had happened. She knew that, if she had not been working, she would have met her biological father. It seemed that fate had set things in motion.

"Did you and Alibaba get into a fight?"

Kassim didn't answer but his walking slowed.

"Where do you think we can run? Aren't you forgetting Mariam?"

He stopped.

"We're the responsible ones, Kassim. We have to take care of them. They're weaker and more naïve than us. It's what mother would have wanted of us." Amani adjusted Kassim's grip in a way that she was holding his hand. "Let's go home."

Guilt filled Amani's senses as she walked back home where Alibaba wrenched her away from Kassim and proclaimed of what they were. He told her excitedly of how their life was going to be better in the palace. Mariam joined in expressing how she always knew that her big sister was a princess and giving the twins her well wishes.

And the whole time, Kassim didn't look at her. Not even once.

* * *

"Kassim." _Are you okay?_

"Princess." _Leave me alone. You are different than me._

"Call me that again and I'll sock you in the face." _You're wrong._

"Isn't that a bit unladylike for her highness?" _You're different. You'll realize it sooner or later._

"Oh, so you're caught up in that royalty shit too. What? Did you think that having the blood of some old man changes the fact that it's just as dirty as the rest of us? Do you think that just because they're going to drag me into the walls of the palace and change how I look and speak that I'm going to be any different than you?" _How could you think like that? Don't you remember all the things we went through together? Stop assuming the worst from me! We're the same!_

"…That was the most you've ever said in a sentence. You know that, Ghost?" _I'm sorry._

"Yeah. Just wanted to make that clear to you when I leave." _It's okay. But I'm still going._

"Then why are you leaving?" _Don't go._

"Alibaba needs me." _I can't stay._

"Isn't Alibaba enough? Can't they just leave you alone? It's not like they would've known or cared if it was just you." _Please stay._

"No." _No._

* * *

The next day, Alibaba and Amani would leave the slums and move into the palace where they would spend their next seven years. The next day, they would begin to spend years attempting to prove themselves to everyone in the court. The next day, they would take on the name 'Saluja'.

But tonight, Amani took in the white cloth of her makeshift home. She relished the dirt under her feet. She praised the sky above her. She treasured the wind around her.

She enjoyed the last day of being just 'Amani'.

* * *

Hello! It's Otaku-sama again!

I'd like to thank all you readers for trying out 'Children of Solomon'. I'm trying out a new take in SI reincarnation fan fiction and Timetravel. Later on, I'll be introducing some subtle crossovers and supernatural stuff (psh, as if everything in the manga isn't supernatural already.)

Hopefully, you like Amani (Phoebe). She's my first SI OC.

I won't be bringing in my other OCs and other characters in MAGI until later so be patient. Just enjoy Amani and Alibaba for now. ;)

Thank you very much and don't forget to REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 2: Years of the Caged Bird

Okay! I'm back again!

Wow! I didn't expect people to review my story so quickly. To those who reviewed: Thanks guys! I appreciate it!

Now enjoy the next chapter of the fruit of my efforts! Enjoy!

(To those who are wondering about the disclaimer, go back to the first page. It's there)

* * *

**Children of Solomon**

Chapter 2: Years of the Caged Bird

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop did not approve of any nonsense that wasn't educational.

During her short life, Phoebe's experience with pop culture was severely limited and almost nonexistent. It was a sad thing that she was grounded for a month for being caught reading _Grimm's Fairy Tales_.

Phoebe was never caught reading anything of the sort again.

She was never caught.

Until her last day

It was a shock to everyone when her parents discovered many borrowed manga books in her book bag on the day of her death. Oh the horror it was to find stacks of _D. Gray Man, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, Magi, _and many, many more manga series hidden expertly in her closet.

They didn't inform Phoebe of their discovery, though. It _was _her graduation day, after all. The Winthrop's had planned to talk to their daughter afterwards about her interest in the strange cartoons. They did not approve of any nonsense that wasn't educational.

But they never got the chance to.

Since she died.

* * *

_Year 1, Age 7_

Amani Saluja, First Imperial Princess of Balbadd.

The moment she stepped into the palace, she knew that her childhood nickname "Ghost" would be never be heard or used again. Despite her denials to Kassim's accusations, she knew that following Alibaba to the palace was her fist step in creating the gap between her and her old home in the slums.

When a handful of maids dragged her to Allah knows where, Amani was tempted to bolt. She was tempted to go back to the slums. Back to the small corner where her tent-like home was. Back to Kassim and Mariam. Perhaps she could change more things there than she could here.

But Fate hated to be changed.

So, she bit her tongue and bore with it when she was tossed into cold, _cold_ water. She kept quiet as her hair was untangled strand by strand. She didn't struggle when clothes that were too beautiful, too heavy with beautiful things, were put on her.

Amani made sure to remain silent throughout it all.

"What a polite girl." One maid whispered when she thought Amani couldn't hear her. "I had expected children from the slums to be animals but look at her! As demure and royal as any of those nobles!"

"Didn't struggle at all." Another said, impressed. "Didn't even make a peep."

Amani went on acting as a doll as her hair was made. She inspected her dress and concluded that it looked very expensive. She wondered how many loaves of bread this dress was worth. Probably thousands.

"_I _think she's stuck up for a bastard." A bitter one sniffed. The two maids shushed her loudly, glancing nervously at the little princess. She made no indication that she heard the snarky comment. "You shouldn't say things like that, Leah. She _is _going to be our mistress from now on."

"What? That child? I consider no one my master and that little brat won't be an exception." Leah snarled. She boldly rounded up to Amani, who was admiring the careful craftsmanship of the carpet under her silk slippers. _It must have taken hours._

Amani's thought process was cut short when she was jolted from her chair and forced to face a scowling face of a maid. "See here. You're not my master. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life serving a _girl._ So you'll never be my master."

Amani blinked slowly at the woman. She knew she should be offended but the gall she showed was an attitude that wasn't uncommon to Phoebe. No, Phoebe was very much used to bullies like these. "Alright then."

Leah jerked back at the passive acceptance of the girl in front of her. Then, her face darkened and she began to shake the little girl. "Now you see here-

"_Stop_."

The room seemed to still at the firm command that left the seven-year-old's lips. Her originally blank face was now set in a faintly offended but mostly disapproving expression. "Just who do you think you are to handle me in this manner? I was nothing but polite to you. Stop this nonsense and _release me now_."

Unfortunately, Leah was too flabbergasted at Amani's sudden burst of emotion to make a move.

Amani quietly sighed. Then, she carefully loosened Leah's grip from the dress, finger by finger, until the girl was finally released. Amani smoothed her clothes and stood straighter.

"You may not regard me as your master right now, but I have all the intention of proving myself of my fath- _his majesty's_ bloodline. I am very much aware that my circumstance makes me lower than my half brothers. I am a slum rat. I respect that it's the image of how you see me. I will be willing to hear any opinion you have of me. But lay a hand on me again and I will not hesitate on defending myself."

She lifted her head up firmly, mimicking how her father usually appeared. The similarity was so uncanny that the maids in the room had to restrain themselves from kneeling in front of her.

"I am Amani Saluja. Do not think that I am a mere spoilt child, Leah."

Leah paled and spluttered when she realized that her mistress knew her name. "Y-You knew my…?"

Amani blinked. "Of course I do. I know all of your names."

All the maids froze at the implication of the little girl's statement. She was with them in only a few hours. To have picked up their names would mean that she was _listening into all of their conversations for the whole time_.

The pale, small, seven-year-old girl suddenly appeared older to every one of the maids' eyes. Uneducated? Strange? Alien? This girl was that. Weak? Naïve? Ignorant? This girl was none of that. The same thought ran through all of the maids.

What a pity that she was female. She would have made a wonderful king.

But still, that didn't mean that she was any less powerful. Women, despite being seen as the lesser of the two genders, still had their ways of attaining some form of power. This slum child had a great potential.

Leah, realizing this, bowed her head to the woman-like child. "Forgive me, my lady. I was out of line."

Amani frowned at Leah's sudden submissiveness but accepted her apology nonetheless. "I am fine, Leah. But please…never do that again."

"Understood, my lady."

Amani stifled a sigh and rose to leave the room. "Now, I think it's about time for me to be introduced to the rest of my family?"

"Of course, my lady. Allow me to show you the way."

As she had expected, Amani was sneered at or ignored by the nobles of the court. Her older half-brothers mostly focused their hatred toward Alibaba since he was more of a competition for the throne.

That, and Amani's worth was practically useless.

Something inside the pale girl reared up in retaliation to the whole palace's condescension. Amani quickly and effectively squashed it. Let them think of her as insignificant.

She was never supposed to be significant in this world, after all.

* * *

"Have you heard about the King's youngest child? She's his only daughter."

"Yes, I've heard. I've also heard that she was a smart little one."

"She'll do well in the palace."

"It's a pity that she was born a girl. She would have made a wonderful king."

* * *

_Year 2, Age 8_

By her second year in the palace, Amani Saluja was invisible.

It was to be expected that everyone would pay more attention to her brother. She was a girl, after all. Sometimes, even her own maids would overlook her existence in brief moments before remembering her again. It usually happened when Alibaba was around.

But Amani wasn't unhappy. She actually encouraged this. The less this world acknowledged her, the less impact she would have in this storyline.

She made sure to pace herself so that her brother was always ahead of her. It was bad enough that he was looked down upon by everyone but for him to be surpassed by his own _sister_?

In this world, that was disgraceful.

Phoebe was annoyed that just about every male in this world was a sexist pig. Her irritation and anger demanded some sort of retribution. Amani, on the other hand, accepted this viewpoint coolly. It did her no good to struggle against tradition. It would only make Alibaba's life harder.

Amani was surprised that her father allowed her to study what her brother studied. For a world that thought of women as an equivalent to bargaining chip, this was very unorthodox.

Still, she didn't complain at the rare act of generosity from her sire and took full advantage of it. Amani made sure to learn whatever her tutors taught her, no matter how reluctant they were to teach a girl, and secretly studied subjects more advanced during the evening in the royal library.

It was a bit of a relief to find that this world had a universal language, a bit like English was to Phoebe's world. Her young mind made it easy to suck every lesson up. Now, she was able to write and read the Toran as well as she could speak it.

Her mastery opened up a new world for her every time she visited the library. She somehow got her hands on a scroll mapping out the known lands. For the first time, Amani had a grasp on what her world looked like. In an eerie way, the geography was not that different from Phoebe's world. It wasn't surprising since the author of _Magi_ based this world on a children's tale of their world.

Balbadd…was it based on the famous trading city Baghdad of the Persian Empire?

If that was so, then this Kou Empire must be China's parallel.

How many other empires resembled the ones back in her past life?

It was then when Amani made it her mission to know the structures of the world from inside out. She poured all of her concentration on learning different languages, cultures, politics, and magic.

Why her brothers did not take advantage of these books, she would never know.

"My lady, it's getting late."

Amani's head snapped up to see a tired and irritable Leah. Surprisingly, the bitter maid turned out to be Amani's most loyal handmaiden. Yes, she made small quips here and there, but Leah was a good secret-keeper. With Leah's bold statements and Amani's open-minded acceptance, the pair got along very well.

What could she say? Shared modern thinking makes strong bonds.

Amani stood up from her seat and sent Leah an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Leah. I've lost track of the time. Thank you for reminding me."

Leah shrugged. "It is no problem, my lady. My sleeping quarters are only on the way there. Would you like me to take you to your room?"

Amani's room was at the other end of the palace. Making Leah walk with her there and then walk back to her sleeping quarters would be counter-productive.

She was too old to be afraid of the dark.

"It's fine, Leah. I'll find my own way there. Please, get some sleep. You look half-dead."

* * *

"Leah how is the young mistress?"

"She's studying. As usual."

"It's just not fair that she's being set aside just because she's a girl."

"It's not fair that our princes can't be more like her."

"Why couldn't she have been born a boy?"

* * *

_Year 3, Age 9_

There are times when Amani felt envious of her brother.

Watching him parry his instructor's blade halfheartedly, Amani decided that these were one of the times. She couldn't believe how reluctant he was to learn sword fighting. Everything that Amani wished to learn but couldn't because of her gender, Alibaba took for granted.

Amani sighed and made a move to walk away but stumbled when she tripped over something. Looking down, she found a pair of flour weights used to make the stance of an amateur martial artist stronger. She distantly remembered reading something like this in the library. She picked it up and inspected it.

The weights couldn't have been much for an adult but, for a nine year old like her, it was slightly heavy.

A very Phoebe-like idea flashed through the princess' head before she could stop it.

Would they notice of just _one _pair of weights were gone?

"Princess Amani?"

Amani discreetly hid the weights in her sleeves as she turned to greet the person who called for her. She blinked in surprise when she found that it was a well-dressed, silver-haired woman. An aristocrat? No, the woman's clothes were made of linen, not silk. A scholar's daughter perhaps? Amani recognized her face from one of the political meetings that the king made her and Alibaba attend so she must have been important. A woman's face was rarely seen in the affairs of men.

Amani groped for a name in her mind. In a few seconds, she finally found the one that matched to face. "Ah…are you Fatima?"

The woman's eyes widened with faint surprise. "You remember me, princess?"

"Yes," Amani assured Fatima, who was very beautiful for a woman around her mid-twenties. "It is rare to see a woman attending his majesty's meetings so it made it very hard to forget such a face."

Fatima hummed in agreement.

"Was there something that you needed, Miss Fatima?" Amani boldly asked. Instead of being offended by her gall, Fatima laughed. A romantic would compare her laugh to bells but Amani personally thought that Fatima's laugh was breakable, like the sound of two pieces of glass bumping into each other with the risk of both shattering at impact.

"A bold one. I like her, Fatima." A new voice rang out, catching both Amani and Fatima's attention. Fatima raised a delicate brow at the new addition. "Ranya. What is your business here in Balbadd?"

Curious, Amani took a closer look at this 'Ranya'.

Years later, Amani would vividly remember her first meeting with the enigma named Ranya as an event that was the catalyst that changed the way she viewed the world. Amani would remember throaty way she laughed. Amani would remember her sun-kissed skin and light blonde hair. Amani would remember the brilliant smile that was aimed at both no one and everyone. Amani would remember the sly, blue-eyed wink that the woman sent her, as if both of them shared a secret that nobody else knew.

And honestly, Amani knew what Ranya's secret was. Amani was shrewd. It was hard to hide the truth from her, no matter how well it was concealed.

"I will be seeing you later, Fatima. I need to visit the others before I go back home. Maybe I'll be seeing you again, kid."

"My name is Amani."

Ranya stared at her for a moment and then nodded. "Amani it is, then."

"That is a beautiful knife you have there, Miss Ranya. Your ring and your bracelet also complement your clothes very well." Amani complimented calmly. Ranya stared again before giggling joyfully. Fatima's lips twitched a little too.

"Smart brat. You're going to make huge changes one day with that sharp mind of yours."

Amani blinked innocently. "I do not know what you are speaking of and my name is Amani."

"Stubborn one, aren't you? And where did you learn your manners, young one?"

"Sadly I am still learning the art of etiquette. I was raised in the slums, you see. But I did learn that red raspberry or ginger tea is an effective way to get rid of nausea." Amani calmly retaliated, ripping another bout of snickering from the blonde haired woman. "Oh, so you _did _know."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Miss Ranya. Being nine years of age, there is only so much a child could know." Amani said respectfully before turning away and making her way back to her room.

"Wha-_nine_? Is that kid seriously nine, Fatima?"

Fatima clicked her tongue. "She is also the First Imperial Princess of Balbadd."

"No kidding!"

Amani held the weights in a tighter grasp and made a mental plan of wearing them everywhere she went. It would help improve her speed at least…

* * *

"Fatima, I want you to tell him that I won't be returning for a while."

"Does he know?"

"No."

"Will you ever tell him?"

"I will, just not yet. And Fatima-"

"He won't hear it from me, Ranya. Don't worry. When you're done with what you have to do, you can tell him yourself."

"Thank you, Fatima."

* * *

_Year 4, Age 10_

It was strange how people could easily forget Amani was there.

Once upon a time, she had wanted her existence to fade away from this world so she wouldn't have to face the full impact of what her birth had caused. She was never meant to be.

The art of being unnoticed was an easy thing to learn. It almost came as second nature to her once she began to practice it. All she had to do was to keep quiet and walk around silently. All she had to do was to seem insignificant and useless. Amani liked to pretend that she was a ghost, just like her nick-namesake. And her efforts finally bore fruit.

Just yesterday, her twin brother had passed by her without giving his usual greetings. He just…walked past her and walked on.

It hurt more than she thought it would.

"It hurts when they forget, doesn't it?" Fatima had once asked her when they passed each other on the halls. Amani paused for a moment and looked back at the mysterious woman. She still held her place in the courts a year after their meeting, which gave Amani the hint that the woman was more than she seemed.

In a way, the woman had become an ally within the palace walls. There was neither judgment nor scorn in her eyes as she spoke to the woman-child. She never spoke with flattery. Sometimes, she never spoke at all, opting to communicate with Amani with silence. Amani knew by now that Fatima was a woman of little words and that whatever little she said was important.

Fatima gave Amani a once over before nodded solemnly. "Yes, it seems that you are the one I was waiting for. I suspected it when I met you but I still needed proof."

The one? Proof?

"Look ahead of you, princess. What do you see?"

Amani did as she was told and felt her heart sink when she saw that her maids had walked on, oblivious to their mistress' momentary pause.

They had forgotten her.

"What were you talking about when you said that I was 'the one'?" Amani asked Fatima distantly. Even Leah hadn't noticed she was gone.

Fatima blinked. "You, my princess, are a Blessed Child of Solomon."

Amani's mind immediately recalled a text she stumbled upon in one of her nightly reading:

_The Great King Solomon created this world._

_He was the first king to be chosen by the three magi._

_He was also the first king to be supported by four children of mysterious powers so he could ascend into his throne. With them, his three magi, and his seventy-two household members, King Solomon became a powerful ruler of a peaceful world._

_From generation to generation, the powers of the four children were passed on from predecessor to successor. Kings garnered support from these supernatural children and created powerful empires._

_It was said that, aside from Solomon, there was no king who had the support of all four of the children. All generations had insisted that they were waiting for their 'true king'._

_The four children became known in the books of old as 'The Blessed Children of Solomon'._

Well if that fun fact wasn't something that wouldn't change the fate of this whole universe, Amani didn't know what would.

* * *

"My king."

"Fatima. What is it?"

"I found her."

* * *

_Year 5, Age 11 (Part 1)_

Invisibility

That was her supposedly 'kick-ass' ability that kings had fought over for generations. Personally, Amani thought that the power of the Blessed was overrated.

(What a waste of good men and blood, tsk, tsk.)

Technically, her ability wasn't 'invisibility' according to Fatima. _That _sort of thing required more energy and effort. What Amani had been doing was accidental misdirection. She had made her existence seem unworthy of attention to the eyes of others. If she were invisible, people would be walking all over her. Instead, she just made herself faceless and unimportant.

Fatima was a Blessed and Amani's predecessor. She explained to the only princess of Balbadd that it was one of her duties as one of the Blessed to impart knowledge the next generation.

Amani was the last of the next generation to be found since her ability was practically built to 'hide herself from the world', which was very ironic since it was her goal all along. The other three were recognized at once during their birth.

Fatima presented Amani in front of the king as her successor. For the first time, Amani's father looked at her, _truly _looked at her. Amani, thanks to Phoebe, was neither inexperienced nor naïve to the thoughts of those in political power. Her father's sudden interest in her was only because of the unexpected increase of her worth. But still. The part of her that was still a young girl felt embarrassed and, dare she think it, _bashful_.

In her discomfort, Amani 'disappeared', confirming Fatima's claims.

That was the beginning of Amani's life as a Blessed Child.

Amani was no longer simply the 'Imperial Princess'. She was now a princess who could give whichever king she chose her powerful support. Her presence alone would change the outcomes of wars. Not only that, she had a personal connection with the King of Balbadd: She was his bastard daughter. Blood was blood. Bonds like that was thicker than water. It didn't come as a surprise to her when the king subtly flaunted her when foreign ambassadors came to visit. Wherever her father-the _King_-went, Fatima and Amani had to follow.

It was a busy time for Amani.

(By then, Alibaba and she stopped meeting each other altogether.)

There was at least one thing that Amani got out of this whole 'Blessed Child' business and it was having Fatima as her teacher. Unlike her past tutors, Fatima didn't underestimate Amani's intelligence and didn't second-guess her abilities because of her gender.

She dumped piles and piles of scrolls onto Amani's lap, demanding every single one of them to be read and memorized by the following morning. Fatima knew Amani had a good memory so there were no excuses.

Amani learned the ropes to politics and war. She learned how to know when a person lies. She learned every weak point in the human body. She learned about the history the past kings of Balbadd. She learned about her predecessors and how they used their invisibility skills.

By the time Amani drained the palace library dry, she felt as if her head would burst with everything she learned. It was a strangely satisfying feeling.

But Fatima's lessons weren't only through scrolls. She took the effort in physically showing how Amani should walk and hold herself in certain way with certain company. Fatima spoke with Amani in various different languages every day to ensure that her student wouldn't forget the languages she had picked up from the different countries they visited.

Fatima also taught her how to fight.

Amani was shocked to find out that her mentor used to be an assassin. It was just that Fatima was so reserved and…harmless.

Amani soon learned that she was so very, _very _wrong. Within her first month of training, the Blessed-to-be encountered the true meaning of hell-on-earth. She woke up early and went to bed late. She held countless weapons and memorized more than a thousand ways too kill a person with seemingly harmless objects.

Amani could no longer look at a quill the same way again.

But the woman-child learned more than she ever had the chance to learn in her past life and she took every lesson to heart. Unlike her brother, who was most likely slacking off in his lessons, Amani strove to be great. Why? Because of the before mentioned brother

Support

That was all she could do now with her remaining family. Her half-brothers and her father could go rot in a hole somewhere but Alibaba was important to her.

Becoming his Blessed when he was crowned king was the best she can provide for her beloved brother.

Even if he had forgotten her

* * *

"Have you heard? The princess is a Blessed Child."

"What luck! Maybe now the young princess could have a chance to take over after her father leaves!"

"Blessed Children cannot be kings, remember? And no sane ruler would make a daughter his successor."

* * *

_Year 5, Age 11 (Part 2)_

Amani killed for the second time in a summer evening.

Her first was Kassim's poor excuse of a father.

This time, she successfully disarmed an assassin and slit his throat. It was faster and more merciful than snapping his neck since she was still too weak to make a death like that painless.

The masked man had been creeping outside her brothers' chambers. The man had expected three dead kids and a bag full of gold for his efforts. He had expected easy killings since the guards in Balbadd were lax. His plans had been flawless and every step had been performed without any trips.

One mistake was made that night:

He had overlooked Amani.

Even though she wouldn't have minded if the killer killed her half-brothers, she still couldn't take the chance of the man killing Alibaba too.

But unlike the last time she killed, Amani didn't feel any shock.

"This wasn't your first time."

It wasn't a question. Fatima rarely asked questions. She knew and Amani knew she knew. Not that Amani cared much. Fatima was raised in a family of assassins. The idea of young children killing was not a new thing for her. But, to appease her teacher, Amani answered to Fatima's not-question.

"Slum rats have to do what they can to live."

Which was the truth. Amani had to do what she could to protect her loved ones.

Even if she had to stain her hands red.

* * *

"Little sister Amani?"

"Sahbmad. Is there something you need from me?"

"I would like to thank you for what you did last night. I am in your debt."

"You know?"

"Yes, and Big brother Ahbmad may not say it but he's thankful too. Is there anything from us that you need?"

"Just don't let Alibaba know."

* * *

_Year 6, Age 12_

A dungeon had recently appeared a handful of miles from Balbadd. Against the warnings that told her to _stay the hell away_ from the death trap, Amani still went.

Besides, Fatima didn't stop her so she had full confidence that she could face whatever challenges the dungeon threw at her. Was there a moment of doubt? How could she when she _knew _that this dungeon wasn't in canon? How could she when this simply stood as an opportunity for her to become strong enough to protect? Without any hesitation, Amani jumped through the dungeon portal.

Amani was well armed with weapons and supplied with a good amount of food and water since she wasn't so naïve to think that the dungeon would provide her with non-lethal sustenance. It was built to kill her, not nurture her.

The dungeon was more than what Amani imagined. It was like a whole _dessert _was transported in there. Ruins of many different empires were scattered all over the landscape. Amani suspected that she was supposed to enter one of the entrances of the underground tombs. The entrances to the tombs gave her an Egyptian feeling since they had an uncanny resemblance to the ones Phoebe saw when her family visited Egypt. The sand glittered under the light.

Which seemed to come from nowhere.

Which also raises the question: How were dungeons so well lit without lanterns, torches, light bulbs (were there any in this world?), etc.?

Amani decided to save that sort of question for the djinn at the end of her quest.

Of course, that reminded her of the _other_ inhabitants of the dungeon. Amani wondered what sort of monstrosity she would have to face.

The ground shook in cue to Amani's mental question. As she prepared herself to face the dungeon monster, she took steps back in case the creature was a long-distanced fighter. Fatima's lessons flickered through her mind as she raised her throwing knives in preparation.

The monster was a sick combination of a bat, crab and a scorpion. Its black armor glinted when the artificial light hit it as if the light was the sun itself and its pincers snapped threateningly at her. The leather wings on its back stretched open to show off the sheer size of its wingspan. The movement disturbed the sand around Amani, causing some grains to get into her eyes. She blinked them away, not daring to let go of her weapons. Not only was it double the size of the royal palace, but it also had hand-sized minions too.

This was her moment to prove herself.

Amani raised her knives in challenged and the creature reared back in preparation of attack. The young princess swallowed and braced herself. The monster shrieked and barreled towards her and-

"**Wah! Get away! Get away!"**

"**Run, it's after us!"**

"**I knew going into this dungeon wasn't a good idea!"**

_-_Went after some random men she hadn't noticed was there in the dungeon with her and_ passed right by her as if she wasn't there_.

"…."

Amani didn't know whether to feel relieved or offended.

Behind her, screams bounced off the walls of the ruins and fizzled out when it reached the sand before they abruptly stopped at the sounds of sickening crunches. Amani didn't dare look back at the carnage that was most likely there and moved forward.

It was sad to say, but Amani's experience in her first, and probably last, dungeon was quite literally a walk in the park.

Yes, there were some riddles and mini-cyclones from here to there but all of them were logic-based so she had no problem getting the right answers. The monsters ignored her and she did her best to avoid them. All and all, the whole experience lacked the excitement and suspense that her brother's dungeon capturing would be when he met Aladdin.

For Amani, the hardest part in this whole 'adventure' was finding the metal vessel. It took Amani about thirty minutes to find it. Turned out, her vessel was a gold, jewel-decorated gourd about two times the size of an adult's hand. Or, in common man terms: A fancy-looking water bottle.

Yeah. It was just as disappointing as the whole experience.

Amani waited patiently as the symbol glowed and her djinn appeared in front of her. Thankfully, her djinn wasn't as pathetic as a spider or a crab, but in the form a petite, humanoid female.

At least she was pretty. Amani comforted herself with that thought before stepping forwards close enough that the djinn would notice her. She even made the effort in dropping her misdirection abilities so that the supernatural being wouldn't overlook her as the monsters in the dungeons had done.

"_I am Foras, the Djinn of Logic and Ethics."_ The djinn boomed, surprising Amani with the strength and depth of her voice. _"Who will be king?"_ The djinn's eyes wandered around the chamber before settling on Amani's _much _smaller form. _"Oh? Will you be the one to take the throne, young one?"_

"Ah…me?" was Amani's clever reply.

"_Yes, young one. I am speaking to you."_ The djinn said patiently. It was then when Amani realized that the djinn was speaking to her like any adult would to a child, in a comforting yet slightly patronizing tone.

Amani's spine straightened as she took on the regal stance that Fatima had drilled her into memorizing and perfecting. The djinn's expression took on a more interested look at the sudden change in the young blonde.

"_I will ask again: Do you wish to be king?"_

"No."

The djinn's brows rose comically at Amani's blunt proclamation.

"I mean," Amani amended quickly when she saw the look that was aimed at her, "I do not wish for power. For a person like myself, I only want to have the ability to support and protect the one I wish to make king."

"_So you wish to serve another."_

"It's fine if you don't choose me as your 'king vessel'. If my wishes don't meet to your standards, it can't be helped." The princess shrugged nonchalantly. "That just means that you'd be completely useless to me even if I somehow force you into becoming my djinn. So I won't take the effort."

The djinn clicked her tongue. "Cheeky brat."

"You're not the first to say so." Amani admitted with a smile while remembering her encounter with Ranya. "But aren't the cheeky ones the most entertaining?"

"_Indeed."_ Foras mused before leaning closer to Amani. _"You will be an amusing master, Blessed One. King or no king, you are still destined to aid fate. For that reason and your wit, I will accept you as my king vessel."_

Oh. So the djinn appreciated her blunt honesty. That was unexpected. But it was also completely fine with Amani in the long run since she gained a powerful companion. With those thoughts in mind, Amani nodded in acceptance. "Thank you."

And then it was done.

The djinn disappeared back into her gourd thing. Amani was transported back to the world of the living with a butt-load of money. Word was sent out about the _child_, not to mention the thought-to-be-dead _princess, _who had conquered the dungeon at the mere age of twelve.

That feat had not been achieved since Sinbad's first dungeon conquering and he had been fourteen, making Amani the youngest dungeon captor in all of history.

There went her invisibility.

But the young blonde child didn't mind. The world may know her name, but they would never recognize her if she ever walked up to them so her invisibility was secure.

Of course, the King of Balbadd heard and he immediately sent soldiers over to Amani so she would be 'safely brought back to him'.

Bah, she knew he only pretended to care because of her position as a Blessed Child and her latest success. Though, she was secretly proud that she was finally deemed important enough by her proud sire to be allowed to show _some _sort of affection.

As Amani was led back into the palace with her boon, she distantly wondered how Fatima would react to her success and if the King would finally allow her the chance to meet with her twin brother after two years of complete separation.

Foras thrummed comfortingly at her new master's side.

* * *

"The princess's metal vessel is amazing! The small gourd seems to have an endless amount of sand in it! And the sand is alive! Have you ever seen sand act like that?"

"It's as if the sand has a mind of its own, shielding the little princess like that when she needs it. And it happens like that even without the Princess consciously ordering it to!"

"What a clever thing!"

"Did you know that the little princess could do other impressive things without that vessel?"

"Yes, she was trained by Fatima, after all."

"Didn't I tell you she'd be alright at the end? Even if she's a girl."

* * *

_Year 7, Age 13_

"C'mon, Amani! It'll be just for a few hours." Alibaba begged with big, watery eyes. "You have no idea how boring it is within the palace walls. You're always out with father doing exciting things."

Amani cringed at her brother's obvious attempt at guilt-tripping her since it was, to her utmost shame, working. "Don't be stupid." She snapped at her other half. "I am very well aware of the tedium of the palace but until you finish your studies as I had, you can't go outside."

When Amani returned to the palace with her metal vessel, she was met with heaps of praise, a sickening amount of attention, and a very amused Fatima. The King allowed his daughter one favor for her magnificent success. Anything she asked of him would be granted if it were within his ability. When Amani requested her room to be moved closer to her brother's, the King had been surprised since it was a simple request.

But he granted it nonetheless and Amani got to spend more time with her brother as she had always wished. They had caught up with each other for years they had lost. Alibaba chattered about his lessons and trading successes while Amani listened to every world without a complaint.

When he had asked her about herself, she knew that he wanted to hear about her ability and her experience in the dungeon.

Amani told him everything. She told him about the day she discovered her identity as the Blessed Child. She told him about Fatima. She told him about the piles and piles of books she had to read. She told him about the hellish training and the weapons she had to master. She told him about the various different ambassadors she had to meet. She told him about the wonders and horrors of the dungeon, making sure to remind her brother that every dungeon was different so he wouldn't arrogantly assume that it was simple to conquer. She exaggerated some of the parts of her story to entertain her brother and left out the parts where she was forced in situations to kill.

(Of course, she didn't fool herself into thinking that she would hide something like this from her brother forever. The truth would have to come out eventually. Just not now.)

Amani loved her brother. She always would.

(It's just that he would never understand her. Not without knowing the truth.)

That was why she wanted to postpone Alibaba's outing from the palace as long as she could. Fate could wait a little longer, couldn't it? She wanted to see Alibaba's smiling face a little longer before she had to leave him in fate's hands. Besides, she had to speak with her brother about something.

"Alibaba. There's another reason why I'm not letting you out of the palace." Amani confessed while playing with her sleeves. In reality, she was making sure that the senbon needles and the kunai knives hidden within her royal garbs were secure to her person. (No need for those to fall out and scare her brother.)

Alibaba looked at his sister questioningly. "Yes?"

"In about two weeks, I'll be leaving with Fatima to go to meet with a Kou Prince. It's selfish. But I wanted to spend a little bit more time with my brother before I leave for Kou since we don't have too long."

"Huh? But won't you have time to spend time with me after you finish your ambassador mission to Kou? Why do you want to spend time together _now_?" He asked innocently, causing his twin to flinch. "Isn't it obvious?"

Alibaba's oblivious expression told her that _no, he did not understand_. Amani sighed in exasperation and looked out of one of the palace windows to calm down before looking back at her brother's face.

"I'm engaged, you dolt."

Alibaba's jaw dropped and he made the shrillest sound a boy his age could make.

* * *

"That poor little princess. She worked so hard to be acknowledged by her Father only to be sent away to be the perfect wife of a barbaric Kou Prince."

* * *

_Year 7, Age 13 (Part 2)_

Amani considered just leaving for Kou a week early when she discovered Alibaba's empty the next evening. Apparently, her brother didn't take the news of her engagement well and didn't talk to her for the whole day, which to her opinion was overly childish. Did Alibaba honestly think that she would remain unmarried? She was the only royal daughter, the only bargaining chip that the country had. It was inevitable that she would be married off one day.

How could Alibaba be so naïve?

(How could he not even consider how _she _felt about this?)

Amani left the palace, donning simple clothing and leaving behind jewelry. She didn't need to wander aimlessly around the city since she knew _exactly _where her brother was.

No one even glanced at her way when she entered the tavern. Amani breathed in pungent air of unwashed bodies and booze. She supposed that it was her training with Fatima and her travels that made her less sensitive to the smell and sight of this place.

She found Alibaba happy, drunk, and laughing with Kassim.

Kassim had grown. He grew a few feet and he wasn't as awkwardly shaped, as any other teenage boy would be. His braids as grown out past his shoulders and didn't look as unkempt as they did when they were children. Amani was thankful that he wasn't as skinny as she had expected him to be. No, rather he was beginning to look like the handsome, enigmatic man who would lead the infamous 'Fog Troupe'.

Fog Troupe

Amani swallowed thickly and pretended that she was catching her brother in an innocent outing with an old friend. She pretended that Kassim had no hurtful intentions and was genuinely having a good time with her brother. It was better to think of things that way.

Amani put on a smile and made her way towards the table.

"-And I managed to sneak past the guards and Amani to get there through those tunnels! Isn't it amazing?" Alibaba was babbling. Amani knew that he had already explained to Kassim in full detail about the secret pathways into the palace.

"Yeah! Impressive!" Kassim praised him.

"Amazing! I almost didn't notice!" Amani chimed in from the seat she took between Alibaba and Kassim, dropping her misdirection ability. Just as she had expected, both males jerked back in shock. The hazy drunk look on her brother disappeared to be replaced by an expression filled with shock and guilt. "Amani? How did you know I'd be here?"

"Never underestimate my abilities in finding you, brother." Amani warned him darkly. "Remember, Fatima was the one who taught me. You do remember Fatima, don't you Alibaba?"

In the past, Alibaba made a terrible mistake of getting his lunch on Fatima. It was her best robes so the glare that she sent him could have sent him to hell seven times over. Since then, Alibaba was afraid of even the _mention_ of Fatima. The horror stories that Amani told him didn't exactly help either.

Alibaba shivered in fear and nodded.

The pale blonde turned to the other person in the table, taking note that the shock was still present on his face. "It's nice to see that you're well, Kassim. You've grown handsomely." She complimented gently.

Kassim still seemed to not accept what was sitting in front of him. "Ghost?"

"Boo."

Amani's sarcastic quip jerked the tanned youth from his trance. A wide smile spread like wildfire across his face. (How long did it take for him to perfect such a genuine-looking smile?) "Ghost! It's been a while!"

Amani drew Kassim into a warm embrace and, to the surprise of both Alibaba and Kassim, kissed his cheek affectionately out of habit since it was a ritualistic greeting between her and Alibaba. Kassim jerked back in embarrassment, losing the cool, mature façade he originally wore. He looked so much like the child Kassim Amani used to know that she had to laugh. "Kassim, you're all red!"

Alibaba began howling in laughter and he patted Kassim in the back. He assured his red-faced friend that his sister greeted him like that all the time. By then, Kassim's face had cooled and his calm façade was back on.

"So Ghost…want a drink?"

* * *

"So, Alibaba. Why did you look so down when I found you? You didn't get into another fight with Ghost, did you? The two of you always seemed to get into fights."

"She's getting married."

"…."

"She tried so hard, Kassim. Out of all of us, Amani tried the hardest. Everyone could see that. She studied, trained, and even became really, really, strong but they're still going to marry her off like cattle. It's just not fair. It's not fair that she was born a girl. She deserves better."

"How is she?"

"Healthy. Strong. Confident. Beautiful. I wish she came out with me. She would've been happy to see you."

"Have another drink, Alibaba."

* * *

_Year 7, Age 13 (Part 3)_

Amani should've known better.

She should've known better than to keep her bedroom doors unlocked. She should've known better than to trust the abilities of the guards. She should've known better than to leave her weapons next to her and not on her. She should've been more protected since _she knew._ She knew what Kassim would do. She knew he would betray her brother and storm the palace.

But she also assumed that he wouldn't lay a hand on her since they were family.

(Foolish, so foolish)

Fatima had taught her better than this. But then again, she was gone. Fatima, her beloved teacher and most trusted confidant, was dead. At least she had died quickly. She had taken a lucky hit to the head by a spiked club when she was distracted by Amani's screams.

Amani had screamed. She wished she hadn't. If she hadn't, Fatima would have been alive.

Kassim had come into her room. She thought he was Alibaba so she allowed her guard to go down, giving him the chance to pin her down. He pinned her down. No matter how much she had struggled and begged, _begged _him to _let her go _and to _stop,_ he didn't. He wouldn't. No, he has gripped at her, ripped at her, and _he had hurt her_. He had _taken her _so harshly that she had screamed and bled. She had screamed her teacher to her death but she didn't know it then.

And Kassim.

Gone was the friend who shared secrets with her. Gone was the older brother who she could depend on. Gone was the kind Kassim who had understood her the most. As Kassim's rough, chapped lips had forcefully covered her own, Amani tasted the booze, tobacco, and blood that defined Kassim through her painful haze. She had long since given up in her struggling and instead waited for it to all end. It was too late.

Too late

Her weapons had been on the ground, Foras had been too far to aid her, and it was hopeless.

Had Kassim blamed her for Mariam's death too? Did he hate her that much for being more fortunate (more aware? more cursed?) than him and having a better (worse, far worse) fate?

Amani didn't blame him if he hated her. She hated herself too.

(It's your fault you know it's your fault. Mariam is dead and it's your fault because you _knew_.)

But she still felt betrayed for what he did to her. She still felt hurt since he was the one to hurt her. She trusted him and he broke all that by doing the last thing she expected Kassim to do.

When he had finally finished, Amani couldn't move. She couldn't think. She couldn't struggle. She had been just…empty.

"I'm sorry." was what he told her as if he had actually meant it.

(Liar, you liar you don't mean it you never did)

She remembered wanting to scream at him. She had wanted to claw at his face and demand him to take back the only thing that made her _worthy_ to be at the palace, at Alibaba's side. She remembered wanting to turn back the sands of time and fix the mistakes she made. She wanted…

But she had only asked him "why?"

Kassim never answered and he left.

Amani used to be very good at reading her brother-friend (or was he really that now after all he did?) but now she couldn't read him at all.

She couldn't recognize the back of the man walking away from her. She still didn't.

The next day, after the fire was put out and Alibaba was safely placed in his bed. The servants found their king dead and the princess in tattered clothes, traumatized and sitting in her own pool of blood.

They didn't need to be told what happened. They knew.

The maids cried over their quiet but kind princess and the palace guards paid their respects to their princess, knowing that it was due to their incompetence that this happened and that she was lucky to even be _alive_. The townspeople wailed at the knowledge that their beloved dungeon capturer, Blessed Child, and princess was sullied in such a way. Even the people of the slums kept silent, not once jeering the princess for her situation.

Both Ahbmad and Sahbmad checked on their half-sister. Ahbmad, because he was the new king and Amani was now his responsibility, and Sahbmad, because he was genuinely concerned of the strong sister he had grown to love. Sahbmad regretfully told her of her twin's flight from the palace. Amani had already known that this would happen so she wasn't as upset as everyone had expected her to be.

No one told her about Fatima.

Amani was too shocked to even ask.

Surprisingly, just when Balbadd thought that Kou would break their alliance and marriage agreement, Kou sent a message through a personal messenger expressing their condolences for the Balbadd Princess and assured her that she could take her time to recover before sailing over to Kou to meet her betrothed.

They had sent a young child to deliver this message.

The shrewd Amani would have been suspicious but she was too shaken to think or suspect anything at the moment. To a broken Amani, Kou had sent a child to show that they had no ill will towards Balbadd.

Thankfully, Amani's broken self's judgment was not wrong and Kou did not attack Balbadd the next day.

Unfortunately, the next day was the day of Fatima's funeral and the day when Amani realized how much she had lost.

Her friend

Her teacher

Her brother

All gone

* * *

"Excuse me, can you tell me where the princess's room is? I have a message for her that will surely cheer her up."

"Her room is at the far right. But be warned, if this is a trick, King Ahbmad would flay you alive for damaging the princess even more than which is already done if I don't get to you first, brat."

"Don't worry, Miss Maid! Thank you!"

"Miss? I'm too old to be a 'Miss' anymore." Leah grumbled. "And what were those Kou Royals thinking, sending a five-year-old boy as a messenger?"

* * *

_Finale: And The Door of the Cage Breaks_

Amani was no weak human.

Yes, it took her many days to get over the shock of being betrayed, sullied, and hearing the deaths of many of her dear ones.

(She came to love her father at the end.)

But she was not weak. So now she planned. She planned on how to move on from this point of her life. Planned how she would return to her homeland by the time the 'Fog Troupe' incident started. Planned to be reunited with her brother. Planned to be very, very strong by then. Amani checked herself in the mirror again, making sure that she looked as strong as she thought she felt. She wore makeup willingly for the first time and actually wore her jewelry to symbolize her position. Now was not the time to look like the street rat everyone had thought she was in the beginning. Now, she was the imperial princess of Balbadd. By the next day, she would be sent to Kou to be wed to a faceless prince.

(Who cared? It was just marriage. As long as it helped Alibaba in the end, it didn't matter.)

A hollow knock thumped through the door. With her metal vessel at her side, Amani answered the door. To her pleasant surprise, it was the young messenger boy. It was not always obvious, but Amani had a very soft spot for younger children and the flowers in his hands gave her a good idea why he came knocking at her door.

The boy smiled brightly and handed the banquet to the princess, of which she accepted graciously. "Thank you."

"May I enter into Her Highness' quarters?" He inquired sweetly.

It was a strange thing that Kou sent over a boy who was too young to be entangled in the game of politics or understand anything for the matter. And he wore clothes of a common merchant or fisherman's child of Balbadd, tanned skin, turban, and all.

But neither Amani nor Foras felt that the boy's presence was threatening so they allowed him into their room but not without weariness.

As the door shut, the boy was led to a seat, which he enthusiastically took while thanking her profusely. He expressed his dislike for standing too long by babbling in long sentences and showing her the bruises and blisters under his feet. To any other royal, this would have offended them. But Amani was simply amused and charmed by the innocence of the child.

But, then again, those blue eyes blinking at her from time to time seemed so familiar and _old_. Had she met this child before?

"Princess?"

"Yes?" Amani answered with a kind smile. "What is it? Are you hungry? Or is it that you have a personal message sent for me from Kou?" Just because he was a child, Amani would never stop being suspicious. Underestimation was the most common downfall.

A flicker of something like admiration flitted across the blue eyes before it glassed over with a look of nostalgia. "You always were the smartest of them all, Amani. It's a pity that you were forced to be here a bit earlier than your supposed time though I admit it was mostly my fault." The young child's whimsical air was gone abruptly and Amani suddenly had the feeling that she was speaking with _someone very much like her_. "Or do you prefer the name 'Phoebe Winthrop'?"

Amani's body jerked forward at the name.

How long was it since someone last spoke of her name?

"H-How-?"

"Again, it was my carelessness. I made a very foolish but necessary wish that sent my eighteen-year-old consciousness into my newborn infant self. Very much like your situation though I wasn't reincarnated." The boy hummed to himself while leaning back into his chair. "If there is any questions, please ask. I am here to clarify your situation since it's my fault."

Amani (Phoebe) fell back into her seat but forced herself to remain focused. This was her one chance to find out _why _she was here. "What do you mean by I'm 'here earlier than I'm supposed to be'?"

"Straight to the point as always." The boy said with a wide smile. "Well, first off, I'm a time traveler of this world. In fourteen years to the future, you and three of the other Blessed Children will choose me as your king. No lie." He added at the end at Amani's dubious expression. "And to prove it to you, I can bet that the three other Blessed Children remember _exactly _who they were in their past life: eighteen year old students of the United States of America."

_America_

(Home)

_Three others _

(Others like me)

_Not alone_

(Not alone)

"See? Do you believe me now? I know it's a lot to take in." The boy said comfortingly. "But I needed find you four before one of you change the timeline to the point where I can't fulfill my mission."

"Your mission?" Amani asked distantly, still absorbing the fact that she was not alone. "Is that what you came back in time for?"

"Wait! I didn't answer your first question yet! The thing is: you four were _supposed_ to be reborn into this world. You, Phoebe Winthrop, are supposed to be Alibaba's firstborn child, Amani Saluja. The other three were born around the time of your birth too, connected to powerful people."

"So I was supposed to be my brother's _daughter_?"

"Pretty much."

"But why am I his sister this time around?"

The boy coughed sheepishly. "_Well_, all four of you were born around the time I was chosen to be the crown prince of the country I founded. Otherwise known as my first ascension in becoming king."

"Since my soul was already confirmed to be mature enough to bear the weight of being king, the reincarnation of your souls were cut short and your old souls failed to be wiped clean. Thus, you have memories of a eighteen-year-old high school genius and you forced yourself to exist as the Alibaba's twin sister who was supposed to be stillborn."

Amani sat back while clutching her head. This was all too fast. But she also understood that it was necessary. "I understand. I think that both of us are about the same page now. My God, this just sounds like a complex sci-fi novel."

She mentally filed the whole conversation in her head for a later date before leaning towards the not-child. "What is this mission you are speaking of?"

"Saving the world." The boy stated simply.

"…Really?" The princess asked skeptically.

The boy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, really. There is going to be a huge series of events in about three to four years from now that will tear this whole world apart. I'm here to prevent doomsday from happening."

Hopping out of his seat, the boy stretched and made his way to the door. "I told you what you needed to know. Whether or not you want to help is all up to you. I'm still going to accompany you to Kou so take your time in your choice. See you tomorrow…"

"Amani." She told him firmly. "Phoebe died. I am and I will always be Amani."

"Amani." The boy repeated before a boyish grin broke out across his face. Unlike his innocent smile, this one was more mature and less pure. It was aimed at both no one and everyone. It was the smile that finally made it click in Amani's mind why the boy looked so familiar. "You're Ranya's child."

The boy dipped his head in mock greeting, confirming her suspicions. "Shion, at your service. Please treat me well in the future."

* * *

What have I done?

Hopefully, you guys weren't intimidated by the length of this monster piece.

Whelp, I managed to fit Amani's backstory into this chapter and now I can move onto the other OCs (Yay!). I can't wait to explore the qualities of the other countries in the Magi world. So many possibilities!

To clarify some things:

1. Amani's side comments to Ranya were about her metal vessels and her hidden pregnancy

2. Fatima was the Royal Advisor of the Balbadd King and his personal assassin

3. Amani is also taking up Fatima's assassination skills so she would act be to her brother as Fatima is to the King.

4. Alibaba is still childish and selfish so he's going to seem like a jerk. Don't worry! He'll come around! And he loves his sister so it's fine.

5. Shion's the king in the Prologue if you've forgotten him

6. (To answer a recent review for the last chapter) Kassim killing his father (technically Amani killing him since she was the one to slit his throat) happened after Anise's death since the flashback showed that the scene where Kassim asked Alibaba if they were 'friends' and that scene happened after Anise's death. That's just how I saw it. There are no significant changes in the storyline (yet).

The next chapter would be devoted to the other three members of the Blessed Children and Amani's decision in following Shion or not. Again, I mentioned that this is going to be a SI OC and Timetravel fic with a little (very subtle, only mentions) crossover added in too.

If there are any other questions about this piece **REVIEW** and I shall answer! Any other comments, critique, or plain randomness are also welcomed.


	4. Chapter 3: Interlude of the Outcasts

Happy Easter!

Here's another chapter! Thank you for your patience and for the reviews!

* * *

Children of Solomon

Chapter 3: Interlude of the Outcasts

* * *

_The Girl Who Died_

_(1)_

It was funny that it took Harley three years, a hug, and a dusty letter to realize that the smartest girl in her whole school thought that Harley was her only friend.

Phoebe was brilliant. She was everything that Harley's parents wanted her to be and they tried pushing her to be just that. She was bitter about it, but couldn't bring herself to hate Phoebe.

No, she _wouldn't_ hate her. They, in some twisted sense, were the same.

Everyone expected too much from them.

Both loved watching stars, birds, Disney movies and reading awesome-sauce manga.

Both had dreams of going against all those expectations after graduation.

So yes. Maybe Harley was a bit thick headed for not realizing what she was important to Phoebe since Phoebe was just as important to her. They were two of a kind and the best of friends.

Yes. _Friends_.

It was a sorry situation that Harley never got to tell her this before Phoebe died.

_(2)_

Sydney came home one day and cried about the girl who died. She made sure to do it silently so no one would hear. If she were to be heard, she would get hurt more than usual. Her long sleeves can only hide so much.

Phoebe, she remembered, was not a mean girl like the other popular girls were to her. Once, she smiled at her and said 'Good morning' when they passed in the hallways. Another time, she let Sydney borrow a few volumes from her secret manga collection. Since Phoebe knew Sydney would stay quiet about it, the cleverest girl in the whole town let her borrow as many manga books as she pleased.

Phoebe was kind to her.

But that was not why she cried.

She didn't know Phoebe Winthrop very well, but she definitely knew the truth of Phoebe's death.

But the world was deaf. Who would hear her if she spoke?

_(3)_

Remy could only stare at the newspaper that all but shouted about the death of the town's brightest student.

Who was Phoebe? _Brilliant._

Did he know her? _Somewhat._

Was she kind? _Yes. And she was kind to him. Once._

Was her death his fault? _Yes, yes, and a thousand times yes._

Did he feel guilty? _Of course he did. Who wouldn't? But he didn't mean to. No one really means to. No one knows but him about who really killed Phoebe Winthrop. And no one will know since he will make sure that it stays silent._

Why was she killed? _Because she was everything that he wanted to be_

* * *

**Rebirth**

**(1)**

The moment she woke up, Harley immediately assumed that she was dreaming. Yes, she was dreaming a funny dream about blankets that hugged her body to the point of suffocation. She dreamed about giants who spoke in soft voices. She dreamed about someone kissing her on the forehead, something that her mother had stopped doing to her when she turned five. It was a nice dream.

Then, just like that, it was broken by a high shriek and all warmth was ripped away from her. She felt herself being handled roughly by hands that were too big to be considered human hands. Her vision was abruptly cut off by something cold and hard placed on her face.

A mask. But why?

"You should have died." She heard a man say to her. For some reason, her mind responded with an: '_I know but I'm alive. Can't be changed. So sorry, man'._

She _was_ still alive, wasn't she?

Wasn't she?

_No._ Her mind answered. _You are dead. You died and now you are awake._

How?

_A car hit you, don't you remember? You weren't paying attention. You died three days later in the hospital. It was only a month after Phoebe's death._

Right

"To have thought that my own child would be born cursed." A different, younger voice murmured with disdain painting his tone. "It's such a pity. She's a beautiful child. Now we can't marry her off. Her skin is blemished with curse markings and having eye contact with her would be fatal. She's useless."

Bastard. Harley wanted to rip his eyes out but the more logical part of her mind told her to _stop and listen_.

"Not completely, my son." The older man said. "We already sent a message to Raja. He will be here to pick the cursed thing up and take it with him. He'll train it to become a fine weapon for the country of Sasan like he is."

Raja? Train? Weapon?

"Do you think that it is wise, my king? She's a girl."

There was a sound of heavy footsteps and a grunt. Harley assumed that it was this "Raja" person the two men were talking about. Good. Hopefully, this man would be nicer than these two bastards. The footsteps stopped eventually and Harley heard a yawn. "Is this her?"

"Raja." The older man or "the king" greeted.

"Is this her?" Raja repeated.

Harley felt herself being handed over to rougher arms. They held her awkwardly. Harley had the distinct suspicion that this 'Raja' was staring at her as if she was an alien from outer space.

"You must raise her to be Sasan's weapon, Raja."

"Whose child is this?" Her holder asked. "Wouldn't the mother or father want to visit her from time to time when she's stable?"

The younger man stepped forward. "That thing was mine, but no longer. My wife won't be seeing it anymore either since that is my own choice. That thing is not my child."

Raja snorted. "And here I was, thinking that you Sasan nobles couldn't be more lower." The arms gripped around Harley in a more protective manner. "_I'll_ be the one raising _her_, you little _shit_. And when she becomes a woman far more beautiful than the rest of this disgusting court and far more useful than even _you_. You'll regret the day you threw her away."

The younger man spluttered.

"Raja." The king said almost comfortingly. "She is still the princess of Sasan. Though my eldest son may have rejected her, the child is still my granddaughter. But until she can prove herself to be worthy, she will not be acknowledged as an official Princess of Sasan."

Raja grunted and finally, _finally _left the two horrible men. Harley wasn't sad that she wouldn't be seeing them for a long time. Besides, she liked this Raja person _way _better anyways. He seemed like a reliable person.

"So what the heck should I call you anyways?" The man holding her grumbled, "Are babies supposed to have nametags or something? And what do they eat?"

Never mind. Harley took that back. This guy was hopeless.

She began garbling incoherently. She tried to tell the man that she was 'Harley' and that no, babies don't have nametags. They were _named. _And she also tried to ask him if his own mother ever fed him since it was common sense what babies 'eat'.

"Well, whatever. I'll figure it out later."

_What?_ Harley gaped.

"Oi, don't make that expression." Raja ordered. Harley automatically stopped. She heard Raja chuckle. "Well, at least I know you'll make it easy for me to raise. I'm not the best parent material (Harley: _no shit_), but it's just going to be you and me against the world from this moment forward."

Raja paused for a moment. He stooped down and picked something up. Harley's sensitive ears heard something very thin and very weak snapping. Then, something light fell on her chest and Harley's senses were filled with something distantly sweet. She sneezed.

"Smells pretty, right kid? These are Jasmine flowers. They can only grow properly on Sasan soil. Fatima _loves_ these sorts of flowers. That's why I bring them to her every time she visits." Raja said wistfully. Harley fumbled and tried to hold onto the flowers that were placed on her small chest. "Like them too?"

Harley sneezed again.

"Good. 'Cause this is what you're going to be named after. From here on out, your name will be Yasmine. Fitting for a princess of Sasan, don't you think?"

Sasan did not sound familiar. And Harley knew by now that she was a baby. She couldn't move or talk like these grown men could. She wasn't strong enough. But she remembered being eighteen. So she was reincarnated into a different universe as a completely different person?

Awesome-sauce. That just meant that in this life, Yasmine was going to be a prodigy.

**(2)**

When Sydney opened her eyes, she knew exactly what her situation was. Even though she was more than half-blind.

She had died. Someone had suffocated her to death with a pillow and she knew exactly who and why. But that didn't matter. Now, she was breathing in a smaller, newer body without bruises and cuts. Sydney felt herself sigh in relief.

_Tabula Rasa_

A clean slate

That meant no more hurting, no more threats, and no more hiding.

Sydney was never one to believe in God. How could she when her life was like that? An all-powerful God who truly loved his people wouldn't allow something like that to happen to her. Reincarnation, on the other hand, was a better and more believable afterlife.

So she was reincarnated, that wasn't a surprise to her.

But how could 'Sydney' still be conscious? Didn't reincarnation require souls to be cleansed completely of their past life? Now this confused her. As she pondered about her situation, her pillows shifted. Those 'pillows' turned out to be her new mother's chest. It was the most awkward situation that Sydney had ever come upon but she supposed it was inevitable seeing that she was a baby.

"A girl." A voice moaned. "A girl. Why did you have to be a girl, my daughter? Why not a son? They'll still take you away from me but now you will have a harder life. You will be sold and cast aside. Why did you choose to be a girl?"

The woman obviously didn't take her biology lessons. If she was a girl, it was because of the father. She had no choice in this.

"Oi! Lowly courtesan! Hand over the low-life!" A sharp voice barked. Sydney wanted to snarl back at the rude person but thought better of it when she remembered that her body was way too small to go against someone else. "By the orders of the king's younger brother, she will be his eighth daughter. Feel lucky that he's even considering raising this bastard. She'll be of use when he needs a pawn to marry off."

"Please! Please don't take away my little Kougyoku!"

Sydney's eyes widened at the name. Then, her little body was wrestled out of her mother's arms and shoved into a different pair of arms. She had a feeling that it was going to be the last time she was ever going to see her birth mother.

Kougyoku? Like Kougyoku Ren of the manga _Magi_?

The storyline of the manga was still fresh in Sydney's or rather _Kougyoku's _mind. It was her latest obsession, after all. _Naruto_ and _Bleach_ volumes were hard to get after Phoebe's passing so she had to rely on less popular series to pass her time. _Magi _was the best out of all of them.

Sydney also wasn't unfamiliar with the reincarnation fanfictions. Rather, they were beginning to become popular around the time she died. She knew how it worked: main character dies (bet none of them were killed by a pillow, ha!), gets reborn as their own character or a canon character, and tries to mess up the whole storyline. She died.

_Sydney_ died.

Only to be reincarnated as _Kougyoku Ren._

_But I wanted to be Morgiana!_ She mentally complained. Being a kick-ass Finalis would have been advantageous in this world. Now she had to be underestimated until she performed something huge and impressive like capturing a dungeon.

The woman holding her was surprisingly gentle and Kougyoku had a feeling that the woman was the only person out of the group who would show any kindness to her.

"You are strangely compliant for a baby." The woman mused. "Makes it easier to ignore your existence."

Kougyoku pouted. How mean of the woman. She had misjudged her completely!

"But," the woman added to herself, "That also shows a quality of deep-thinking and wit. What do you think, Haji?"

"Haji", who was going to be insignificant to the whole Magi plot in general, grunted.

"With all due respect, my lady, who cares? The runt is just a low born, another girl to our lord's growing collection." He sneered.

By then, her vision was better and she could see that the woman, Ping, was very, very pretty. Like any other Asian back in Sydney's world, she had dark hair and brown eyes. She seemed to glow with some gentle light that assured Kougyoku that this woman was _good _and _safe._ Yet, she had an interesting tattoo on her neck. Was it some sort of fashion trend? She had a light frown on her face at the soldier's sharp remark but said no more and ceased in instigating more conversation.

Kougyoku caught sight of the palace and sighed mentally while turning her cheek. Ping caught sight of this and peered closer. She huffed in faint surprise and slight triumph at what she saw. "Well." She murmured in amusement, "it seems that the little miss wouldn't be so useless after all."

"What was that?" Haji snapped. Ping sent him a condescending look that resulted angry shivers down the soldier's back. His companion held him back, lightly whispering that it wasn't a good thing to 'attack such an important person'. "It _means_ that I finally found my successor!"

Ping looked thrilled about this revelation. It seemed to be a good thing since the soldiers were now looking at her in awe as if they weren't calling her 'trash' a second ago.

"Having no one but the emperor and his brother know is crucial. So the two of you better keep your traps shut about it. _Okay?_"

The pair of guards shared a horrified look before hitting their heads onto the ground simultaneously. "Of course!" The pair shouted. These actions didn't seem to shock the townspeople. Maybe this was a normal thing? "We will cut off our tongues before betraying your trust, my lady!"

"Good," Ping sniffed while checking her nails, reverting from her originally 'calm demenor' to 'prissy noble' mode. She must be more important than Kougyoku thought. "I would know if you two betrayed me anyways."

"We know that you know." Haji grumbled. His companion shushed him hurriedly.

Ping ignored him and opted to giving Kougyoku a look that was noticeably more admiring and gentle. "You, my princess, are a _very _special person. Let's get along now. Okay, Kougyoku?"

**(3)**

Remy had sinned and this was his price.

Hell? No. Fire and brimstones would have been much more better than what he was going through at the moment. When he died, he had expected the afterlife, not an _after_ life. It was as if whatever God up there wanted him to suffer even more than necessary for what he did. Reincarnation couldn't have been crueler. Not only was he the cause of a death in his past life, he also already had two lives in his hands.

The first would be the woman who brought him into this world.

(She was blonde, pale, and blue-lipped. Her abdomen was bloody. He must have been cut out.)

The other was the stillborn body of the baby that was supposed to be his twin sibling.

(Small, so small. And still. Had the beginnings of black hair and probably was his mirror image.)

Killer in the last life, killer in this life

It seems that even lifetimes couldn't wash away sins. So that was why he didn't struggle when a pair of rough arms picked him up from the ground. He looked up to find a handsome yet tired and angry face. That man also had black hair, just like his dead sibling and probably just like him. He supposed this man was his father. He didn't complain when no warm blanket wrapped around his vulnerable body. He didn't complain when he felt his body roughly deposited on a random hill.

So, death immediately after birth, eh?

This wasn't too bad. Compared to his last death, this one was more peaceful. The wind was cooling and the stars above him was comforting. Remy thought about the face of his stillborn sibling and thought: _that would be me in a couple of hours._ But he deserved it. Remy's face numbed at the thought.

Remy patiently waited for his second death.

"A-re? There's a cute baby lying all alone in the grass! Now what terrible parent would do that?" Remy's eyes snapped open at the new voice and, to his surprise, _understood_ this strange language that spill from this strange person's lips. The steps came closer and Remy felt himself being lifted up. He heard the clicking of a tongue. "Not even a blanket. How cruel."

It was terrible how relieved Remy felt when he felt a thin piece of cloth wrap around his body.

Remy was brought up face-to-face with his savior and reared back in shock.

It was the man who originally deposited him onto the hill. Why would this man come back and get him? Wasn't he angry at Remy before for taking away his wife? And why was he acting as if he had never left him behind in the first place?

And there was another funny thing about this man. (Remy couldn't bring himself to call this man his father, not really. The father that he remembered was a kind man who loved to fish and play tennis. He was always supportive of Remy's choices, no matter how ridiculed they were by others.) He seemed as if he was…wearing his face. _It was as if it wasn't his face at all._

Remy scrunched up his face in thought. The man mistakenly thought that the abandoned was going to cry so he hurriedly tried rocking him and shushing him. "It's okay. It's all right. I'm not going to leave you, okay? So don't cry. _Please _don't cry."

For a moment, Remy thought he saw the man's face flicker to someone else's face. But that wasn't possible, right?

Right?

The man sighed in relief when Remy's face scrunching stopped. "Good. I can't deal with crying babies. Or crying people in general. They're too honest."

Remy snorted. Him? Honest?

He had told more lies in his last life than there were stars in the sky. If that didn't make him dishonest, Remy didn't know what would.

The man noticed the look in Remy's face. He inspected it before chuckling. "That's an interesting look you've got there, kid. It's something that grown-ups usually wear. I'm guessing that you're more aware of your situation than others think, huh?"

Remy didn't answer. Remy _couldn't _answer. But if he could, he'd say 'yes'.

He wished, for a moment, that he could be older. He wished to be like that man so he could speak. At that moment, Remy felt his face numb for a moment.

"What the-?" The man holding him almost dropped him as he stared at Remy in shock. Remy began to panic. Real tears streamed down his face this time and he wanted to show this man that he was "defenseless" and "weak".

Remy's face numbed again.

This time, the man didn't drop him but held on to his little body a little tighter. "Shhh, kid. You don't have to be anyone else, you know? Just be you." This time, the man's face actually _did _flicker and change into someone else's. It was the same face that Remy caught sight of before.

It wasn't as handsome as his other face, but this face seemed to fit this man better. Remy had a guess that this was the man's real face. "See? I'm doing it too."

_Too?_

"So relax. Think about being _you_, kid. And don't pretend you don't know what I'm saying. I know you do."

Remy thought about being _Remy_. But that didn't work. It might have been because Remy was dead so he opted in being the baby that came out of his mother's belly and into the new world. He was that weak baby holding the hand of his dead sibling's. He was the killer of two innocent lives.

Remy felt something slide off his face but when he reached up his chubby fists to rub it off, there was nothing there.

"Oh." The man murmured. "So _that's _how you truly look like."

Remy shrunk back in shame. He was well aware of how he truly looked. He was well aware what he truly _was. _It was probably one of the main reasons he was thrown away like he was. He looked up to see the man's reaction. He had expected shock and disgust but none of those were there.

There was resolution in the man's face this time.

"I'm going to keep you." He decided. "Since you're just like me."

"I'm Marius Shambal and you will be my child from here on out. I will do my best in training you to be my successor."

"And you, kid, will be named 'Sai Shambal' from here on out."

* * *

Lessons and Conversations

(1)

"Raja?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Why do I have to wear this silly mask all the time? It's heavy and dark. And it looks like the skull of some sort of animal or something like that. It makes me look scary."

"That's the point. I have one too. See? And it's made from real tiger skull. Yours is just made from wood and glass. Not that impressive."

"But why do we have to wear it?"

"We're cursed. That's why."

"Is that why people look at me funny when they see the weird markings on my skin?"

"Yes, since it identifies you as my successor."

"How are we cursed?"

"When people look into our eyes, they believe they'll turn into stone. It's a silly misconception but they believe it. We just freeze their whole body. It's not too bad if we control the intensity enough. But if we aren't careful, we could cause their hearts to stop pumping with one glance. That's why we need this mask."

"Even if it completely blocks out our eyesight?"

"Our eyes could see through solid bone if we desired them to. You can walk around with that thing on, can't you?"

"But I can't see any colors! It's all black and white to me."

"That's the price we have to pay for our powers. But look over there. Can't you see the details of that hawk miles away? Can't you see the subtle movements of the flowers in the field as the wind moves it?"

"Yes."

"Then isn't the price worth this?"

"…Yes."

* * *

"Raja?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Am I the reason why you're losing your eyesight?"

"No. I'm just getting too old. That, and it's your turn to bear the banner of the curse until your successor comes along. It's your duty as it is mine to do so. The power of the Blessed Children is leaving me and is being transferred to you. Sooner or later, you'd be able to see across _countries _if that is your wish. It's not your fault. It's just how it is."

"I'm sorry."

"Yasmine, I told you that you are not to blame. Now pay attention! The scythe can't move itself, can it? Handle that weapon better and I'll consider making you a real one to use."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Raja?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Are you leaving?"

"For a little bit. The king had sent me on another mission to defend the border."

"Another? Do you want me to come along this time too?"

"No, Princess Yasmine. You will be staying here this time. Practice your katas and exercise your eyes. When you remove your mask, don't make any eye contact. Remember your manners. Clean and sharpen your scythe every time you finish using it. Don't be rude to the king, no matter how much of a bastard he is. Ignore any taunts. Deflect if necessary but never attack. Be kind, princess, no matter what happens."

"Raja, you're not coming back, are you?"

"No, princess."

"You can't see me anymore, can you?"

"No, princess."

"Is this our goodbye then, Raja?"

"Yes, princess."

* * *

"Good night, Raja."

* * *

(2)

"When you look at a human being, you must always question their intentions, Kougyoku. No person is completely pure. Only infants and the most sheltered children could have those qualities. But not anyone in this palace."

"Ping, why should I bother? I already know they're all lying pigs so what's the point?"

"_The point _is that you should pick out the stupid liars from the _really _good liars. Appearances, even in the images shown to our eyes, are untrustworthy. It's just the surface."

"…So you're teaching me to read in between the lines of the truth we see?"

"Exactly, my lady. My, how clever you are for a three-year-old. It usually takes children a very long time to grasp these sorts of things. I knew you would be a deep thinker. Now please, tell me what you see in the servant girl."

* * *

"That official is corrupt. His aura shines with gold and blood and his clothes are made of paper money. He takes any bribes no matter how immoral the price is. He is in charge of the eastern district, judging by the fern leaves he treads on. I heard that the taxes there are higher than the other districts. Such a man should be removed, but he has connections that allows him to keep his seat."

"Good."

"That servant lady is having an affair with my father. But it's against her will, seeing those glass shackles on her wrists. The tiny handprints on her frock tells me that she has three children to take care of. The prospect of losing her life scares her since she values her own life and requires herself to live so she could support her children. And no one can defy the lust of my sire. It's a good thing that she is infertile or I would have a younger sibling. The number three painted on her cheek shows that her third child will be her last."

"Very good."

"That little boy, Hakuryuu, was it? He's my cousin. He's pure, extremely so. His brothers and sister must coddle him. Which isn't such a bad thing since he's a kind one. There's nothing much on him since he has no ambition yet."

"Correct.

"And that woman over there. She's wearing dragon-scale armor. She's a warrior. Which is rare since the Kou Culture requires women to remain at home and look pretty. Her aura is bloodstained so her status as a soldier isn't just a front. She's skilled. She's dedicated. She noble. The glow that surrounds her makes those qualities apparent. But she also has a temper that she's learning to repress, looking at the steady flames at her feet. Frustrated with how the country views women, perhaps? She's also a dungeon capturer, judging by the symbol glowing on the sheath of her katana."

"Only to your eyes, my lady. To others, it is just another sword. She is also the fiancée to young Prince Hakuren, Seishin Ri. She usually spends her time of leisure with Hakuyuu's wife but it seems that the imperial princess is feeling ill of late. It would be good that you keep an eye on this one. She's a truth-teller."

"She looks strong."

"She is. Now, who's next?"

"And the regal woman over there…"

"She's our queen."

"Yes, she is my queen and my aunt, Ren Gyokuen. She may be charming and kind to others but to my eyes…"

"Yes, but you must keep silent about this, Kougyoku. Pretend that you do not know. It is better to allow the smart liars keep to their lies, lest they swallow us up too in their disgusting games."

* * *

"Kougyoku. From here on out, you will take my place as a Blessed Child. When you turn seventeen, the whole palace will know of your importance, but not yet. You are still merely six and vulnerable to the whims of the court and the queen."

"Ping. Why didn't you tell me you were sick? Why didn't you tell me that I was slowly taking away your own ability to see the truth and your health? _Why didn't you tell me you were dying?_"

"You didn't need to know."

"Lies."

"No one can fool you now, can they?"

"Of course they can't. I'd see right through them since I can see what they cannot."

"Avoid the queen and the dark magi. Take heart to my lessons. Let them underestimate you. Fool them with their own eyes, Kougyoku."

"I will, Ping. So please…"

"…"

"Please don't leave me alone. I'm scared."

* * *

"Good night, Ping."

* * *

(3)

"Where are we, Marius?"

"Hmm, probably around Kou's borders, why? Missing the steppes of the Kouga Tribe. You know, we'll eventually visit that area again so don't worry."

"So I'm in _Magi_."

"What was that?

"Nothing. Just carry on the lesson, already."

"Fine, fine. Breathe in and hold it. Imagine a desire you have, who you wish to become. Then, imagine a face. When you feel the tingly feeling, you know you're doing the right thing."

"…Did it work?"

"Perfectly. You're a natural at this, Sai~! Your face looks exactly like mine."

"Oh no. Better change my face quickly then."

"That hurt, Sai. That hurt right here."

"Whatever. What do I have to do next?"

"Maa, be patient. Now, we would have to focus more on imitating the person's voice…"

* * *

"Sai. You don't have to be so disappointed. Magoi manipulation doesn't come easily to some people."

"But I'm part of the _Yambala_ Tribe_. _Aren't we supposed to specialize in that area? Aren't I shaming us all for my uselessness?"

"No. You're not. You're just a late bloomer. I was one too when I was your age."

"Are you lying?"

"I swear I'm not~! Geez, put some trust in your teacher, won't you? It's a natural thing for the Blessed to have a hard time with magoi manipulation. Especially one with eye-affecting abilities."

"There are types?"

"Well sure there are! You didn't think that we were the only Blessed Children out there, did you~?"

"…"

"…Did you?"

"…"

"Oh great Solomon, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?"

"_Yes, yes you conveniently did."_

"Maa, maa, calm down. I'll tell you about the others. It's good that we brought this subject up, eh? Okay, there are four blessed children. Two have eye affecting abilities and two have the eye-contact ability…"

* * *

"You knew that they'd kill you the moment you lost your abilities."

"…"

"Marius, how could you be such an _idiot_? Why didn't you just run away like any other sane man? Why did you remain loyal to such a stupid tribe? They hated and feared us anyways. Why didn't you just take me and go?"

"…"

"Was it because of pride? Was it because of shame?"

"…"

"Was it because you felt indebted to such a prejudiced clan? They did nothing for you, you bastard. _Nothing._ And now you're dead because you had some sick sense of duty. Didn't you tell me that the first priority of a liar is their lives?"

"…"

"Why didn't you just let me die? You _idiot_."

"…"

"A-re, A-re, you're being so mean, teacher. Promising to always be by my side when you had always known you couldn't. So mean~!"

* * *

"Good night, Marius."

* * *

"Their Finale"

(1)

(Yasmine, age 14)

Yasmine wasn't stupid.

When Yasmine's grandfather summoned her from Sasan's borders, she knew that it wasn't because he 'missed his granddaughter' as he claimed in the letter. The only time he had even _glanced _at her way was only to tersely remind her that she had to step up on her duty of keeping the borders enemy-free. Her grandfather either wanted to use her for political purposes or to finally get rid of her for good by assassinating her, whichever one out of the two. It was shocking how she had managed to live until fourteen.

That was why, when she marched into the palace with distressed maids trailing right behind her, she was covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. She was still in her battle clothes and even those were merely cut up rags. She had long since thrown away the heavy armor of her nation's usual uniform for soldiers. The strange markings on her skin were no longer hidden. In one hand was her scythe. In the other was a whole collection of decapitated heads of her enemies.

Yasmine casually dropped the heads with expressions of paralyzed shock and horror at her grandfather's feet, ignoring the gasps of the palace priests and the stare of the foreign prince who probably came to Sasan for some political purpose. Defeating her enemies had become painfully easy ever since she gained control of her eye power or, as she dubbed it, her 'Medusa' powers. She managed to reign in her smirk as she bowed 'respectfully' to the king, making sure to dirty it up with the blood and dirt on her clothes.

"I, Yasmine of the Border Defense, have come to greet you, my King."

Behind her mask, her eyes opened. She stared eerily at the old man and he shifted uncomfortably, knowing that the only reason he was still breathing was because of the tiger-bone mask covering her eyes.

"Granddaughter." He greeted stiffly. "I take it that you have gotten my message."

Yasmine nodded.

Beside the king were two people. One was a pale blonde, ghostlike girl who was watching all of this in amusement. As if she knew that Yasmine was inspecting her, she winked. Yasmine decided that she liked this girl. The other was a red, almost pink, haired girl with a strange expression on her face. Yasmine assumed that this was the ambassador of Kou judging by her clothes.

"This is young lady is Princess Amani of Balbadd. She is a Blessed Child, like you. I hope that you can make her stay here at Sasan comfortable."

Which translated as: _She's a creep like you and she's from an enemy country. Keep an eye on her._

Her grandfather gestured over to the other girl.

"This young man here is her companion Prince Kouha of Kou. You will be watching over him also. Be respectful."

Ah. So she was a he. Whoops.

The Princess of Sasan respectfully bowed her head, causing more blood to spill onto the floor.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Welcome to Sasan. I hope-

Yasmine found her left arm, now free of the many heads she had carried in, in a very strong grip. Then, she was dragged out of the throne room in an undignified manner, not that she minded. The Balbadd Princess quickly followed her companion. The girly prince grinned broadly at the Balbadd Princess and announced. "I like her! Let's keep her, Amani!"

Well then. This was a surprise.

"We can't. She's the princess of Sasan." The pale-haired girl murmured as she gently pried Yasmine out of her in-law's grasp. He pouted at the loss of his new toy. "You should treat her more gently, Kouha."

"It's fine." Yasmine assured them shortly.

"She needs to change her clothes." Amani decided while taking the masked girl's arm. "And a bath. I'll help her out. You wait out here, Kouha."

Yasmine waited patiently as Amani dragged her into a random room. She had a feeling that the Balbadd Princess wanted to talk to her alone. It didn't seem as if she was an assassin so Yasmine supposed it's fine. It was actually very kind of the foreign princess to worry about "Princess Amani, I don't have a room, So-

"Harley Kingston."

Yasmine halted.

"You're…Harley, right?"

Yasmine tried to answer, but her shock blocked her throat. She nodded instead.

"Don't worry. You're not alone in this world." Amani comforted Yasmine (Hayley, her name used to be Hayley and she _knew _her). "I'm just like you. I'm from America. Harley, don't you remember me? I may appear and act a bit different than I did before and it was a while, but I'd think that some acknowledgement is deserving for a friend who sat through _hours_ of a Disney Marathon."

"_Phoebe?"_

(2)

(Kougyoku, age 14)

"Oh look, it's the _low life._"

"Pretend that she isn't there."

"Just because father became the emperor doesn't mean the trash's worth is better than it is. Hopefully, she'll be married off and finally be useful."

"How useless."

_I can hear you, you know. You dumb __**cows**__._

Kougyoku had no interest in acting the part as the shy, meek princess. Unfortunately, acting as herself would blow her cover. No, it was better to make them to think that she was an easy target.

The moment she overheard her older sisters calling her useless, she strove to prove them wrong. She strove to become more useful and powerful than all of those hags combined (which, seeing how the original Kougyoku turned out, wouldn't be too hard).

"Like _hell_ I'm going to let them have the last laugh." She muttered to herself darkly while walking down the halls. The maids avoided her because of the heavy cloak of gloom that surrounded her. Some whispered to others that the eighth princess was 'just as depressed as ever' and 'possessed by a demon'.

Feh. If only. Maybe then she'd have kick-ass powers. Hers was _lame_. All she could do is see the person's 'true form'. And it wasn't even an offensive ability!

"Wow, what an ugly face."

Kougyoku slowly turned and shot her deadliest glare at the speaker. "_Shut up_."

"Or what, old hag?" The boy taunted. (Why was that nickname so familiar?)

Kougyoku's eyes narrowed dangerously as she walked up to the rude boy. She took his shoulders with both hands and drew him in so they would look at each other eye-to-eye. "Care to repeat that again, _brat_?"

The boy, technically a teenager judging by his size and voice, daringly leaned in closer. Their noses touched. "_Old hag."_ He hissed.

Before he knew it, the boy felt a sharp pain burst in his forehead as the force that caused his pain caused his head to abruptly snap back. He took a step back and fell on his ass, clutching his bleeding forehead the whole way. It took him many seconds to realize that _she had head-butted him_ and _it had hurt_.

Kougyoku smirked in victory and loomed over the bratty boy, ignoring the faint aching in her own forehead. "Listen here, _brat_. I am the eighth princess of Kou. But, I'm not like any of my flowery and weak sisters so _don't_ underestimate me. After I find someone who would train me properly and I mean_ properly_, I'll become a general for this empire!"

"So don't you dare call me an old hag again!" She snarled, concluding her long-winded rant.

The boy stared at her strangely for a long time. He stared at her to the point that it made her uneasy. Did she break him or something? Then, when she was convinced that he was brain-dead, he stood up, brushed himself of any dust, and walked away; lacking the bounce of confidence he had before.

Kougyoku didn't really care. She just sniffed and made her way to her room where she ripped more heads off of paper dolls. It was actually a stress-relieving activity she gained after she had to imitate the 'depressed chibi-Kougyoku' under Ping's orders.

Not that it mattered now. Everyone knew now that she had a violent streak after that stunt she pulled in the hallway.

But how was that boy familiar? His aura was covered in so much darkness and bloodshed that she couldn't see his face clearly. It was a downside when her abilities got in the way of seeing the appearance of a person that other people see. The empress, for instance, looked…horrific. Kougyoku couldn't see the beauty that the woman was famed for.

But wasn't that the truth?

There was a firm knock on the door. "My lady? A little servant boy wants to meet with you. Should I let him in?"

Kougyoku recognized the voice as Koubun's. Five years ago, when her father ascended to the throne, he and two guards were assigned as her personal servants, just as the _Magi _timeline dictated.

Meeting Koubun was the most entertaining event in this life so she decided to allow him to think of her as something to be 'fixed' and to be made 'proper'. It was funny how he thought he was good at manipulating people when she could see his lies even without the help of her eye-ability.

"Let him in."

A turban-wearing child sauntered into her room with an easy-going smile on his face. The way he walked was eerily reminiscent to the way a teenager would walk. On his side was a glowing scepter. His fingers were covered in rings and jewels. His clothes were of royal birth. Upon his head was a crown. And his aura…

Servant boy her ass

"Who the hell _are_ you? You're not one of our servants."

Ping would have thrown a fit for her language, but Kougyoku couldn't bring herself to care.

The boy bowed. "Shion, at your service, my lady. I have a message for you…"

Shion talked and Kougyoku listened. He mentioned time travel, reincarnation, and dimension hopping. He spoke of America. He spoke of electricity, cars, and peace. He spoke of a world where a weak, seventeen year old was smothered to death because she knew too much.

"-So would you help me in preventing the end of the world, Sydney Trent? Or would you prefer Kougyoku?"

"…What?"

"If it's fate you're worried about, then rest your mind. I messed up the set course simply by going back. Changing it even more won't do a thing."

"What?"

"And you can meet others like you! Actually, you already bumped into Amani from time to time in the palace since she's your new sister-in-law. She's actually Phoebe Winthrop, by the way. Did she tell you that yet?"

"_What?"_

At the end, Kougyoku was recruited in 'Mission: Save the World'. How, she had no idea but she had a feeling that sticking with this child-man-king was her safest bet in making her second life exciting without doing anything terrible. Besides, who wouldn't want to mess up a storyline?

Kougyoku only hoped that this was the only surprise she would be getting for a long, _long _time. Sue her. She's overwhelmed.

As if the fates heard her mental wish, she had the same brat who insulted her knocking at her door with flowers at hand, demanding her audience and her attention only a week later.

Turned out that the boy was Judal, the Dark Magi of Kou and main antagonist of the whole _Magi _storyline. He was the character she had been avoiding her whole life because of his role.

(She _knew _he seemed familiar.)

It also turned out that Kougyoku's stunt in the hallway inadvertently gained an obsessive admirer out of the villain who was also a masochist. Joy.

(3)

(Sai, age 14)

A lone figure walked through a straight road while whistling a cheerful tune.

"Pardon me, young man, but could you be the Blessed Child, Sai?" A voice called out hesitantly. The whistling stopped and the figure turned to the voice. Though he seemed relaxed, his magoi was tense and prepared for any attack. "And who asks?"

"A friend." The man assured while approaching Sai. This time, Sai was wearing the face of a veteran soldier of Reim. Sai relaxed when he saw the man's face. Instead, he appeared surprised. "A-re? What is a traveling magi doing concerning himself with the business of a Blessed Child?"

"So you know me then?"

"Who wouldn't with all those rukh around you? They're so loud." Sai complained.

"You see them?" Yunan seemed surprised. Sai shook his head. "Nah, I just hear them chirping from time to time. It's only when there's a lot of them when I can recognize them and you're surrounded with those stuff. So, what's your business with me, Magi?"

"I bear a message from my nephew. It seems that he is in need of your help."

Sai raised his brow. "You have a nephew?" He didn't remember hearing about that fact.

Yunan's lips quirked up in affectionate amusement, "Yes. I know it's surprising, but Magi do have families. He is my sister's child, six years old now. He says: 'I would like to meet you since I already met the others. Before you think of ignoring the message, please at least pay close attention to this small message." Yunan paused and took out a slip of paper while clearing his throat.

"Remy Perdue," He stumbled over the _English_ pronunciation in the _English _language, "Phoebe Winthrop is alive."

Sai cursed.

"Did I pronounce that phrase correctly?" Yunan wondered aloud. "I've never encountered this language before. Oh, I do hope Shion isn't pranking me again. That would be embarrassing!"

* * *

(A year before)

"_So, Princess Amani? What is your choice?"_

"_I'll join you. I'll help you change fate."_

* * *

Done!

Finally, the other main players of this story came into the picture! As you can see, every Blessed Child is connected to Phoebe in some way, which is the reason why I focused on her in the first couple of chapters.

Hopefully, you like my cast of characters.

**Yasmine:**

Yasmine, if you haven't guessed, is based on _Aladdin's_ Princess Jasmine. I changed the first letter of her name to avoid any confusion. The name meaning doesn't change. (Raja is based on the tiger that she sics on her suitor). Her power is based on Mary's eye power from the manga _Kagerou Days _and her backstory pretty much copies Shin-ah's from _Akatsuki no Yona_. (Actually, I think the whole Blessed Children situation is based on that manga). I placed her in Sasan since it was the only country that wasn't described. Artemya seemed a bit too...nature-loving and pro-feminism for Yasmine. I wanted her character to stand out so I placed her in the Religiously fanatic Sasan, homeland of Spartos.

**Kougyoku:**

I wanted to use Kougyoku because of her position in the whole storyline. I saw a great potential in expanding her situation since she seems like a weak character in canon (_seems_, I actually think what she can do is impressive). I also wanted someone else in the palace to be aware of Gyokuen's folly and have close (well, as close as a good guy could be) viewpoint on Al Thamen. She'll also influence Judal's character in the future. (I also think that Morgiana was a wonderful character on her own. No need for her to be replaced by a reborn teen.) Her powers was actually one that I made up. Since Kougyoku is a character known to be gullible and mislead, I made this version to be more wary, political savvy, and **aware of the truth of a person**. A person's overall personality and true character would always be evident to Kougyoku but the details are something that she has to guess (since an all-perfect character aside from Solomon is a no-no).

**Sai:**

Sai, my male character, will be my wildcard. You can see that he's bitter but his sudden change of character is him being purposefully OOC. His ability is 'stealing' other people's faces. Sort of like a shapeshifter. His power and personality is a mix of Kano and Shinataro from _Kagerou Days _(they have a buttload of abilities in that manga). But overall, I made him (teehee!). He's going to be very imperfect so be prepared to either love him or hate him.

**Amani:**

Amani is Amani. She, like Sai, is based on no one and is completely original. She, out of the four, has the closest connection to the main trio so she's the placeholder of the plot. Power is based (again) on a character from _Kagerou Days _named Kido and (as someone mentioned) Kuroko from _Kuroko no Basket_. BTW, her ability annoys the heck out of her.

**Shion:**

Shion is a character who I'll expand more on later. For now, you just have to know him as the 'King from the Future' and 'Next Coming Solomon'.

(RIP to Fatima, Raja, Ping, and Marius who I introduced and killed off in the same chapter -.-)

**NOTE:**

1. To avoid confusion, I want to make it clear that Kougyoku's power cannot be 'turned off' so to say like Yasmine's, making their eye abilities 'Eye Contact' abilities. Sai and Amani have 'Eye Effecting' abilities. Kougyoku purposefully avoided the empress and Judal since she didn't want to be involved with the 'bad guys' of the storyline. Her meeting with him was purely by accident.

2. Marius' death was caused by the fellow members of the Yambala tribe. They were wary of his power (thus, the masks they wear in canon) and took the chance on getting rid of him the moment he lost his eye-ability. Sai leaves the tribe and leads a life of traveling.

So I hope you liked the chapter and please **REVIEW!** (Please?)


	5. Chapter 4: Homecoming

Yup! Another chapter! Whopee!

Finally, the ball is set rolling! We're coming to the point where the Blessed Children are dipping their feet into the Magi plot before the important parts actually begin.

I'm going to love writing the emotional turmoil!

Please enjoy!

* * *

Children of Solomon

Chapter 4: Homecoming

* * *

_Blessed Child: Sai_

_Mission: Locate the 'Fog Troupe', infiltrate and join its ranks_

_Location: Balbadd_

_Importance: Very_

_Personal Note: Do your best and don't mess this up, Sai-chan! _

"Maa, maa, that bossy kid is at it again. Can't he give me a heads up before he drops this sort of bomb on my head?" Sai complained lightly while casually destroying the piece of paper with his fire-type magoi. "Maybe then I'll do my mission correctly for once."

It was very early in the morning. The sun hadn't risen yet and the air was bitingly cold. The consistency of the weather was one thing that Sai missed about his old life. He mentally grumbled to himself while retaining Marius' smile. He always wore Marius' smile no matter what form he was in, aside from his undercover missions. Those were the times he had to flawlessly act like a stranger.

At the moment, he was in his 'Sai' form. His shoulder-length, black air was pulled back into a short ponytail. His wrists and ears were bare from any jewelry since Sai preferred a more casual look. The only strange trait about him was his silver eyes. But he was in an anime, eyes and hair were supposed to be weird.

"Don't worry. You won't be doing this job alone."

Sai looked up and whistled. There, on the small hill in front of him, stood his friend and squad leader, Amani, holding up a similar sized piece of paper to the one that Sai had destroyed seconds before.

_Blessed Child: Amani_

_Mission: Locate 'Fog Troupe', infiltrate and join its ranks, reconnect with brother(s)_

_Location: Balbadd_

_Importance: Very_

_Personal Note: (Scribbled Out)_

"Bee-chan! Long time no see! So we're partnering up for this little job? Can't be bad if it's a joint job with you~"

"It's Amani." She corrected while walking up to his side. "And when we get to Balbadd, you will be my personal bodyguard from Kou. In the past, you were born a street urchin. During one of my trips outside the palace, I found you getting beat up by a street vendor for stealing an apple."

"_Aladdin,_ much?" Sai mused.

Amani sent her companion a chiding look. "Hush. It was Yasmine's idea. What did you expect? She loves that movie and it's not a bad backstory. Me taking in Kou street urchins as personal servants isn't an uncommon event and is well known within the royal court. So if anyone gets suspicious, they'll hear of my habits and we won't be caught before the game's over."

"So an ex-slum rat and a con man fooling a troop filled with ruthless and vengeful members of a group of thieves." Sai stated. He shrugged. "Not bad. I'm pretty confident we can pull that off. Why the stress in this mission, though?"

"This is a turning point in the _Magi _series, isn't it? Don't you know the plot of this whole manga better than I do? I only read the series until chapter seventy seven."

"So one chapter into the Sindria/Zagan arc, huh? So you probably don't know about _that_ scene…"

"What scene?"

Sai smirked. "Nah. Not telling you. Don't worry, it's not a life-changing thing but I'd really like to see your reaction to it when it happens. And knowing you, I have a good guess how your reaction would be."

Amani restrained herself from strangling her tricky companion. And he was such a sweet boy in her past life. She shook her head in disappointment. "Fine. I'll leave you to your amusements. Let's hurry to Balbadd. I'd like to see Alibaba again."

Sai wrinkled his nose but continued to walk his way to Balbadd a step behind the pale-haired young woman. Her hair had paled to a white color as she grew. The remnants of blonde had disappeared completely, leaving behind white hair long enough for her to sit on. "I never understood why you gave up so much for that coward. After everything you did for him, I can't believe he left you like that."

"He's my brother." Amani stated simply. "And it was fate that he fled from the palace. If he didn't, he wouldn't have met Aladdin."

"You're too forgiving. You even forgave scum like me for being the cause of your previous death." Sai stated in a bitter voice. Amani scoffed. "_Please _don't flatter yourself. The cause of my death might have been successful because of your unintentional aid, but you did not drive the knife into my chest on graduation day."

"I was jealous of you." Sai informed her freely. "I wanted you to die."

"Liar." Amani sighed. "No person who wished upon another would cry on the day of their funeral. And yes, both Yasmine and Kougyoku told me they saw you. You might have despised me, but you never wished something as terrible as death upon me. Misfortune, perhaps, but never death."

"Again, too forgiving."

Amani smiled to herself and Sai had to wonder what she found amusing. Before he could ask her, she turned away from him toward the rising sun.

"Let's depart."

* * *

_Blessed Child: Kougyoku_

_Mission: Infiltration mission in Balbadd, Keep tabs on Al Thamen and Black Magi_

_Location: Balbadd_

_Importance: Not Very_

_Personal Message: I know it's hard being engaged to a pig, but be comforted that you won't be marrying him in the end. If this goes well, you will be back to Kou by fortnight. Then you can officially announce yourself as a Blessed Child to avoid any more marriages. Thanks for this!_

The note was wetted to the point where the message was unreadable. Kougyoku sighed and tossed the wet piece of paper into the wind. Judal had summoned a large magic carpet to transport her and her personal servants to Balbadd. The tiny pieces of paper fell and floated away.

"What an idiot."

"Who's an idiot, princess?" Koubun asked curiously. Kougyoku sighed. "A friend of mine. Do you remember the young man who was once a member of the Yambala Tribe? The one who taught me to refine my magoi manipulation?"

"Do you mean young Master Sai?"

"Yes. That idiot."

Of course, Kougyoku wasn't talking about Sai. Though she truly did think he was an idiot. He was a mere shadow of the shy boy Remy once was though Kougyoku supposed she had changed in great magnitudes also. Her temper was shorter in this life and she was more daring.

The idiot she was thinking about at the moment was Shion. The young boy, technically young man, had glimpsed into the other dimension where the four Blessed Children had originally came from during the transfer of soul from the future to the past. He learned about their history, their flaws, their victories, and their pop culture. He was especially was fond of the James Bond movies so he incorporated the themes into their missions every chance he got.

For a person who claimed to be the next Solomon, he was very immature.

"Princess, did the contents of the message upset you that much?" Koubun inquired hesitantly. Judal perked from her seat on the carpet. "Should I dispose of the annoying young man for you?"

"I can do the disposing for you, princess!" Judal crowed for both blood and acknowledgement. Even after three years, the dark magi was doggedly vying for the Kou Princess' attention. From flowers to pretty baubles, Judal had piled numerous gifts to draw her eyes to him. Unfortunately, Kougyoku wasn't interested in a relationship (not that it stopped him).

But she had to admit, the attempts were adorable when they weren't annoying and they boosted her ego. She also knew that what Judal probably had for her was only strong infatuation. Who based their romantic feelings on a head butt? Honestly.

Though the Magi made a surprisingly good friend. He was very loyal too, it seemed.

Kougyoku shook her head. "No. I was just reminded of my engagement that is coming up in three weeks." She explained bitterly, drawing an understanding look from Koubun and a mirroring bitter look from Judal.

"Princess…this is for-

"The country. I know." Kougyoku finished the overly cliché line though now she could connect with the poor Disney princesses who had no say to who they were going to be married to. The only reason why she wasn't throwing much of a fit was because she knew the outcome of the engagement.

How disappointed was the Kougyoku in the original storyline when her efforts in capturing a dungeon and years of martial arts training went to waste when news of her engagement came to her? This whole marriage situation was giving her a new view of her least favorite character. Perhaps the little princess had a good reason for acting like a lovesick fool?

"I am merely nervous. What sort of man is Prince Ahbmad, Judal? I heard you visited Balbadd before so you must have seen his face and conversed with him."

_He's a greedy pig and a spoiled midget to boot._

"Dunno." He shrugged. "I don't remember."

"I hope he is kind." _whoever the man who would __**actually **__marry me. _Kougyoku confessed while clutching Vinea to her chest for comfort. Her metal vessel thrummed under her fingers in assurance.

_I hope this mission is carried smoothly. I hope we don't disrupt the storyline to the point we can't tell what path the future would take. I hope I don't mess up. I hope the others won't mess up. I hope everything will be fine in the end. _

_I hope Shion knows what he's doing._

Kougyoku remained silent and carried on in admiring the view from her carpet. She didn't notice the dark magi gritting his teeth and freezing a small part of the carpet in anger.

"He better be." He muttered darkly under his breath.

* * *

_Blessed Child: Yasmine_

_Mission: None until further notice_

_Location: Wherever_

_Importance: Not at all_

_Personal Note: Since you did all the work in the last mission, I decided to give you a well-deserved break. Enjoy doing whatever you want to for a week or two. Ciao~!_

"Seriously?"

Yasmine scowled at the piece of paper. Amani had told her the Balbadd Arc was the most exciting part of the manga! And she was going to miss it! She crumbled the message to dust in irritation. "Stupid boss." She muttered to herself before turning and returning to the little hut she called home.

Ever since Phoebe…no, Amani came back into her life, Yasmine felt less lonely and more daring. For the first time in her whole second life, she dared to look in a mirror without the hindrance of her mask. The face that had stared back at her was tanned and sharp-featured because of malnourishment. Her brown hair looked a bit ratty and unclean since she never had to take care of her hair her whole life. Yasmine also realized that she was small, very small for her age, another result from her malnourishment.

Yasmine didn't dare look at her eyes.

Amani had assured her that, with a bath, a haircut, a brush, healthy meals, and new clothes was that she needed. And without hesitation, Amani had thrown Yasmine into the guestroom and began washing, brushing, cutting, and refining her. Kouha had taken a hand in choosing the new garments for her to wear and braiding her hair.

At the end, even Yasmine couldn't recognize herself.

Now, her once rowdy brown hair was grown to her shoulder blades, clean and though a bit frizzy, as they were the day of the makeover. If she didn't have to wear her mask all the time, Yasmine would have sported the same side bang as her grandfather, father, and many uncles had.

Instead, she clipped it back with a small jasmine hairclip from Kou, courtesy of Kouha. She wore the usual garments of a Sasan royal, which was high-collared, ornamented clothes with metal protectors on her shoulders. Connected to her right shoulder was a real tiger's pelt. The tiger was already dead when Yasmine found it so she took advantage of its thick coat to keep her warm during the cold seasons.

Many times her friends would be compare her to a 'Sesshomaru' character, whoever he or she was.

("Blasphemy!" Sai had howled when she informed him that _no, she did not watch or read _Inuyasha.)

Her feet and arms remained bare so the markings labeling her as a Blessed Child were showed off to the world. She didn't know it then, but the markings were giant letters of the Toran language. Amani told her that they translated to: "Blessed with far-reaching eyes that creates mountains," repeated over and over again.

Yasmine's scythe now bore the mark of Solomon, recognizing it as her metal vessel: Gamigin. He was a very useful Djinn that gave her the ability to deconstruct the form of anything that was related to the earth.

So yeah, she could rot and rust anything she wanted. Even human skin, depending on how much concentration she put on the attack. It didn't improve her reputation in Sasan, but she didn't care.

Prejudiced fools. And she still blamed them for her short size. They should have fed her properly!

Yasmine sighed as her head hit the pillows of her bed. It wasn't anything fancy. It was a fluffy, feather-filled mattress with a warm blanket draped over and she loved it.

Just as she was beginning to relax, a pair of arms slithered around her waist and pulled her close. She froze for a moment but relaxed when she smelled the faint aroma of sweet grass and sandalwood, both a smell of Kou.

"Kouha. What are you doing in my bed?"

Kouha groaned and buried his head into the crook of her neck. "Comfy. Tired. Need rest."

"Out." Yasmine said firmly while giving him a hard kick dislodging the androgynous boy off of her body.

Kouha tumbled out of the bed, whining. "Yasmine~ I came all the way here too visit you. Is this how you're supposed to treat a good friend? I wanna sleep in your super comfortable bed _please._ I'm so _tired_. Can't you kick me out after I rest? I swear I won't hug you or get into your space."

"Out." She repeated.

"_Please_?"

"Out."

* * *

The cloaked Amani weaved through the streets as if it was second nature to her. Sai, on the other hand, lagged behind. "Hey Bee-

"It's Amani or Princess now, remember? Actually, Princess would be a better choice. If you're too familiar with me, people would start getting ideas about us." Amani smirked. "Imagine the scandal of a sheltered and well-loved princess getting involved with her dashing bodyguard. The horror!"

"It's a pretty popular storyline used in romance novels." Sai pointed out in between pants. His voice became noticeably more heavy and serious. Amani glimpsed Sai's new face and had to admit that this new form looked more attractive. It will be annoying if she would have to pry prostitutes off of him but another glance at his appearance confirmed that this fate would be inevitable. "It's not as if it didn't happen before. Especially if the bodyguard is 'dashing' and the princess is loveable." He wiggled his eyebrows at this while making 'kissy-kissy' noises, which looked a little off with his new look.

"Did you just put on a 'bishie' look?" Amani questioned in amusement. "I don't think that's wise. Prostitutes will be crawling all over you for free just because of your appearance."

"How are you so sure?" Sai teased.

"My mother was a prostitute. I would know." Amani stated simply and left it at that.

Both companions had dressed in simple clothing that could pass them off as children of so-so traders. Not rich enough to be targeted frequently by pickpockets, but not poor enough to be looked down on by the richer folks.

Amani knew many ways to become invisible that was not dependent on her powers.

All Blessed Children agreed that depending on their abilities was the lazy way out. Seeing how they were talented enough without them, every member focused on strengthening their body and brain. Amani already had a head start on both areas thanks to Fatima, Solomon bless her soul so she focused on magoi manipulation, which Sai was a pro at. Both had bonded over the training experience and were close ever since.

Amani had bonded with Kougyoku also with their shared interest in their metal vessels. Kougyoku was a natural and had achieved djinn equip before Amani even though she captured her metal vessel years after Amani did. Kougyoku wasn't hesitant at all in helping the others achieve theirs.

Yasmine and Sai focused on hand-to-hand combat since it was Sai's weakness and Yasmine's strength.

Amani taught the other three how to render someone unconscious quickly and silently. She knew how to kill someone silently too but she had a good feeling that they wouldn't want to do that, aside from Yasmine who was experienced in slaughtering people.

The group had worked on each other's strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the years, they had successfully formed an effective team that rivaled the one in the future Shion was from.

Which brings them to now, the event where the Blessed Children were going to make their debut in the _Magi _storyline.

Amani took a breath before letting it out with a small whoosh.

"Nervous, my lady?" Sai asked softly in his bodyguard mode. It was hard to snap Sai out of his acting modes until he was either discovered or successful in finishing the mission. Amani was far used to him changing his personality by now to be surprised.

"A bit."

"I'm sure your brother would be ecstatic to see you again as long as you don't try talking him out of aiding the Fog Troupe." Sai suggested. "Which reminds me, what will be my name?"

"Cain. I will call you Cain."

"Doesn't that sound a bit too western, my lady?" 'Cain' asked doubtfully. "Wasn't I supposed to be from Kou?"

"Yes, but it's not uncommon for bastard children of visiting Western Lords to pop up from here and there. It would explain your good looks and your position by my side. Even if I did bring a street urchin in, the Kou Royal Court would never allow anyone without a drop of some honorable blood to serve by my side." Amani explained patiently. "And if anyone asks, your father was cheated of all of his fortune in a gambling game. He sold your pregnant mother so he could get the money to return to his home. You were born in the streets and grew up as an orphan."

"You thought this out pretty well, didn't you my lady?" Cain mused with an impressed grin. "I trained you well."

"That you did." Amani allowed. "But don't let that get into your head." She added.

With everything prepared, Amani followed her instincts as she did years before to find Alibaba. Sai, now Cain, silently followed her as if in habit. His body language mimicked one of a seasoned soldier and his steps were heavy, a stark contrast to what they were hours ago.

It took Amani an hour, thirty-five minutes, and twenty seconds to find the hideout.

"Impressive, my lady." Cain commented. "Tell me, do you always find your brother through gut instinct?"

"It seems it's an one-sided twin thing."

"That makes sense."

No, no it did not. But with Sai/Cain's thought process, who knew what was considered normal or strange? He simply accepted Amani's answer without suspicion or further inquiries.

"…Shall we go in, my lady?"

Amani gave a short nod. "Yes."

Amani entered into the building with Cain following her. She was reminded of the building she was born in. It was as dusty and worn as this one. The scent of spices and sand were strong in the air, just like the time she realized she was born as a different person in a different world. The smell strengthened her will and her courage. So she walked on.

She wasn't surprised when she was met with hostile glares from the residents in the room. She looked suspicious and foreign to them.

"I apologize for intruding, but I heard that a young man named Alibaba is here."

"What'cha want with Alibaba, missy?" A stout man snapped defensively. Amani mentally rolled her eyes at the man's amateur attempt at appearing threatening. _Please._ All he did was show how low he was in the rankings of the thief guide and literally tell her that Alibaba was indeed here. She raised her hands up instead in a soothing gesture. "No harm. I am simply here to deliver a message and reacquaint myself with an old friend. You see, my companion and I have traveled a long way from home to bring him good news."

There was truth in Amani's voice and everyone in the room had heard it. To a stranger, they may seem as threatening as ever. To Amani, their stances relaxed and their eyes held less suspicion.

"What business do you have with me?" A voice suddenly rang out.

A smile crawled across Amani's lips as she heard her brother's voice. It was much deeper than it was the last she saw him. Her eyes flickered up to his figure. Yes, it was her Alibaba. He strongly resembled the Alibaba featured in the black and white pages of the manga she had devotedly read in her past life. A pang in her heart reminded her that she had missed four years of her life with her brother.

Her hear almost stuttered to a halt when she saw the figure beside him.

Kassim

_No, no, no, no,_ she reminded herself firmly. _You forgave him a long time ago. You told yourself that you would put what happened behind you. You meditated on this. You __**decided **__this. There's no use backing out now. There's no use holding it against him now._

_If you continue on like this, he'll __**die**__._

_You don't want that Amani. Do you?_

"Alibaba." She said smoothly. It came out smoother than she expected. "Long time no see."

"Do I know you?" He asked crossly. Amani held back a flinch. _He doesn't know. He doesn't know. _She reminded herself. _You have your hood on. You have your hood on._

With a flick of her fingers, Amani's hood fell from her head, revealing her face to her brother after four years. The gesture was a bit dramatic, but it gave the effect that Amani had wanted. All eyes were on her movements because of _curiosity. _Let them watch then. Let them witness the moment Amani Saluja comes into the picture. The more witnesses, the more wonder. Even Kassim appeared genuinely interested though that quickly morphed into shock when he saw her face. But he didn't matter. None of them did. Only Alibaba's reaction was the one that mattered to Amani.

It took a whole second for Alibaba to recognize her and another whole second for him to react. Amani relished the surprise that bloomed across her brother's face.

"A-Amani?"

She smiled.

"Hello, brother."

* * *

Shion couldn't be more embarrassed.

Who knew that taking a brief nap in the middle of the desert would result him being captured by slavers? He didn't. He thought they only went for caravans and populated areas but he was wrong in that judgment.

"If Sai finds out, he'll tease me to death." He muttered to himself sullenly. "How embarrassing to be caught by such simpletons."

A hand from the darkness grabbed his and squeezed them in what Shion assumed was assurance. "Don't worry! We'll find a way out from this place." A small voice told him with confidence. The voice sounded about ten or eleven years old, two or three years older than his current body.

Shion didn't need comfort, but the rare show of kindness from a stranger touched him. He squeezed back. "I know. I'm just bad at waiting."

"Should I tell you a story then to pass the time?"

"That would be nice. What's the story about?"

"It's an exciting tale about dungeons, heroes, and different lands!" The voice informed him in an excited voice. "It's long, too!"

"Really? It's been a long time since someone told me a good story like that. Tell me!"

* * *

The underground hideout of the thieves was in an uproar. Amani, the _princess _of their country, had returned to her homeland. But, to the majority of the thieves, their _Ghost _had returned to the slums right where she belonged. Under the orders of Alibaba, the Fog Troupe celebrated that night, postponing any plans they had originally.

Amani was allowed a seat beside Alibaba on the pile of rocks that served as his pedestal. It was bigger than she thought it would be and she had the whole Fog Troupe in her view.

Cain decided to mingle with the members of the Fog Troupe, introducing his presence and making friends.

"This isn't good."

The chatter in the room fell silent to Amani's statement. Amani ignored them and focused on Alibaba. "This isn't good at all."

"What, sis? Do you not like the taste of the food? I can always-

"No, no, the food is delicious. Compliments to the chef." Amani assured him. "No, the real problem is…"

She turned to Alibaba with an accusatory glare. "You're taller than me."

"…Yes?"

"I can't accept that my _twin _brother is taller than me. Shrink now!" Amani demanded childishly. The tense aura in the room immediately dispersed to a sea of amusement at the princess' "order". Alibaba, on the other hand, took her statement seriously and begged her to understand that it was something he couldn't control.

"Alibaba, I was joking, _joking_." Amani finally relented when her brother looked as if he was going to have a heart attack.

Her brother looked at her strangely. "You joke?"

"Yes?"

"I never knew you joked."

It suddenly hit Amani that her interactions with the other Blessed Children had loosened up her personality by _a lot_. They had helped her control her 'disappearing' moments. It still happened, but not as frequently as before. The stress and weight of accidentally changing fate was also gone, thanks to Shion. She didn't have to worry about Alibaba for a whole four years.

She had changed.

"Ah, I blame Sai."

Alibaba tilted his head at the name. "Sai?"

Realizing her little slip up, Amani decided to go along with it and use Sai as a conversation leader to what she _truly_ intended to speak with him about. "Yes. He's a friend a made in Kou. He's a jokester and a clown at heart. No room of the palace would be free of his pranks. He was part of the nomadic Yambala Tribe but he decided to leave it to train me in my magoi manipulation."

"Magoi manipulation?"

Amani waved his question away, knowing that it was too early for him to be interested in this sort of subject. "Complicated stuff that involves my fighting style. The training with Sai had improved it my a lot."

_Be curious, be curious, be curious,_ Amani mentally begged. She knew if she asked Alibaba, he would refuse to let her join and Kassim would be suspicious. Her only hope in joining into the ranks would be if Kassim made the choice himself.

It just showed who was actually the leader of the Fog Troupe.

Unfortunately, Kassim hadn't taken interest in their conversation at all. Actually, he was avoiding having any contact with her. _**Coward**_**,** a darker part of her hissed _**He has no right to act like that after what he did.**_

"My lady is a ninja." Cain loyally agreed, butting into the conversation. _Thank you, Sai. Alibaba is bound to become curious._

Just as she predicted, Alibaba looked at Cain in interest. "What's a ninja?"

"A shadow warrior." Cain explained excitedly, eager to share the culture of the mysterious assassins. "They are able to escape the sight of any untrained eye and kill their opponents in a blink of an eye. They can sneak into anywhere and escape _from_ anywhere. They're just like shadows."

"So you're saying she can do those things?" Kassim finally spoke up challengingly.

_Gotcha._

Amani looked at him in the eyes. "Yes." She informed him not unkindly. "Would you like an example?" Kassim warily nodded. "Cain!"

Cain backed away a few steps and drew his blade. "Please be gentle, my lady."

"…No."

To everyone's surprise and wonder, Amani disappeared in front of their eyes. There was a wide amount of space for Cain to stand in and all eyes wandered around the cringing bodyguard to have a hint to where she was.

After a few silent seconds, Amani appeared out of nowhere and pressed the flat part of her kunai knife to his neck while disarming him with one smoothly executed move. Cain grunted when she forced him to his knees. After she was finished, Amani looked up to gauge Alibaba and Kassim's reaction.

"Whoa! You can become invisible at will now? That's amazing!" Alibaba complimented loudly. His eyes shined with the same admiration as he always would when she performed something new or said something interesting to him. "I thought you had no control over it."

"Not anymore." She told him proudly. Then, she deflated. "Though…there are times when I can't control it and I disappear randomly."

"Very good, my lady." Cain wheezed. "But can you please find the mercy within yourself to release me?"

"Ah. Sorry." She released him abruptly.

As a result, Cain fell flat on his face.

Ignoring the groaning man, Amani walked up to her brother with a pleased smile on her face. She glanced at Kassim. "Was that ninja enough for you?" She asked both of them (but really just him).

_Did it catch his attention? Did it impress him enough for him to consider…_

He returned her look calculatingly though his face presented a charmingly dazzled smile. "Yeah, that was pretty impressive Ghost! You can sneak into anywhere and defeat anyone. Must be useful."

"Thank you, Kassim."

Kassim poured a small cup and handed it out to her, finally daring to look at her straight in the eye this time. "Want a drink?"

Amani knew she got in.

* * *

"-Then, the bad man kidnapped the innocent villagers of the Tribe. The nice princess was then blamed for the event since she was in charge of the bad man. But the princess was a very honest and honorable person and she stood tall as she was attacked. She gained a nasty scar, but she convinced the villagers that she was innocent and good. The bad man was found out and defeated and the princess made friends with the villagers."

Shion listened intently, stopping the voice from time to time to ask questions. This story sounded strangely familiar though he couldn't pinpoint where he heard it. It seemed as if someone told him the same story so long ago…

"That was a good story." Shion complimented.

The voice laughed. "Yes! Yes it was! And when I leave, I'll gain more and more good stories from my adventures and make more friends. What is your name? You will be my friend too!"

"Shion."

"Nice to meet you, Shion! I'm Aladdin."

Oh. So that was why.

* * *

"Kassim! How could you suggest such a thing?"

Alibaba was upset, which wasn't a surprise to Amani when she walked into the hallway where the two boys she grew up with were arguing. Cain stood back and watched as she casually walked up to the two.

"I'm telling you, Alibaba. She can contribute so much to the Fog Troupe." Kassim argued in Amani's stead. "You want to protect your sister. I understand that. But does she look as if she needs to be protected? Did she ever need protection in her life?"

Yes, she did. _That_ night, she was alone and she had wished more than anything for someone to come to save her. She had made herself seem to everyone that she was indestructible and an unstoppable force but she _wasn't_. Her inability to show her flaws was a huge flaw itself. She knew that now.

"She's my _sister_." Her brother stressed. "I am not going to get her involved with our business. Unlike me, she has responsibilities. How would it look to Kou if she openly opposed to the current King of Balbadd? She'd be at the mercy of the Royal Court in Kou, not to mention her _husband_. Did you ever think of that?"

"Actually," Amani chipped in from her position _right in between the two_, "Ahbmad could go die in a hole for what he's doing to _my _country. The Royal Court values me too much to punish me too harshly so they're not the problem. And my _fiancé_," Amani added with a soft smile, "and I are not married yet. He has no control over the consequences I will face. Besides, he would side on me if the court ever goes against me for my choice." _It's only the queen who I should be concerned about._

Alibaba and Kassim had flinched in surprise at Amani's sudden appearance but had listened attentively to Amani's words. Alibaba seemed surprised that she wasn't married yet. "Huh? But weren't the two of you engaged four years ago? What happened?"

Amani cleared her throat uneasily. "There was a debate about which prince I should be married to. After the incident before my trip to Kou, I became…unsuitable for the prince I was originally engaged to."

"Eh? Was father being alive that important in the engagement process?" Alibaba wondered. Amani gave him a confused look. Why did he think-?

Then, she saw Kassim's panicked eyes and realized that _Alibaba didn't know_. He had no clue about what happened to her the night…the night that…

(But everyone knew. How could he not _know_?)

"A-Ah!" Amani said. "No, no, it's not that. It's just that a better candidate came up for him, nothing big." _She lied._ "They were more suitable for each other anyways. It would've been a pity if I went in between that." _That part was true._

"Kou still wanted me to be married into the royal family to strengthen the alliance between our countries. There were two princes who the court wanted me to be married to so there was a long debate about that. The issue was just settled last month. I will be married in three months according to the Oracle's calendars and readings."

A.k.a Judal just wanted to give the groom a hard time.

Alibaba nodded. "So that's how it is…"

Kassim expression relaxed when the bullet was dodged but then it suddenly soured when a thought crossed his mind.

"I'm joining." Amani announced abruptly. "And Cain is joining too."

"Your bodyguard?" Alibaba seemed more relaxed at that. "But why? Isn't he loyal to Kou?"

"He is loyal to _me_ and that's all that matters." She told her brother dismissively. "He would join simply because I am. And no," she interrupted Alibaba before he could speak, "I am not changing my mind about this. Don't be picky about your allies, brother. You need them the most now."

Eventually, after a long argument, Amani convinced Alibaba to let her join. While Alibaba was upset, Kassim looked thrilled but his expression was wiped clean off his face when Amani gave him a pointed look that heavily suggested that they needed to talk.

And they _would_ talk, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

The Bastard was avoiding her!

A whole week had passed without any hiccups. Cain had made his place in the Fog Troupe as a fine warrior and an overall friendly person. He got into Alibaba's good books by just being his twin's bodyguard.

Amani, on the other hand, was an already respected figure.

She had impressed many with her seemingly countless number of weapons she had on herself. Her invisibility ability had made many of the thieving expeditions quicker and more effective. The 'Fog Troupe' was more feared ever since their new member 'Ghost' was recruited.

Though he wasn't that happy with Amani's decision, Alibaba was no doubt grateful for his sister's help.

Everything was moving smoothly and the day when Aladdin and Morgiana come to Balbadd was coming closer and closer by the hour.

_Two more weeks…_

There was one thing she hated and that one thing was having regrets. If she didn't talk to Kassim soon, if fate somehow got its way in the end, she may never be able to get the chance to talk to him.

Amani was beginning to get desperate.

* * *

Shion was beginning to get bored.

"Why aren't we out yet?" He asked nobody. "Why is the help so late?"

He. Was. So. BORED!

"Ah screw pride and dignity." He muttered. "I don't care if Sai mocks me for eternity. Someone get me out of here!"

* * *

"I thought I you would never willingly let yourself be in the same room with me again after what happened. I thought you would have avoided meeting me again. That's how people would normally react."

Amani had dragged Kassim into her given room the moment they were alone so they could converse without any interruption. Yes, she was afraid. She still flinched at the touch of strangers and her fingers still shook at the mention of _that _night. But her fear of Sai overhearing their conversation overrode her fear of the memory.

She had told the others of what happened, but she never told them _who _did it.

If they knew, Kassim's death would be ensured and by their hands. Amani didn't want that no matter how hurtful and horrifying his actions were. Kassim was still _family_.

"So, are you going to kill me?" Kassim asked from his seat on Amani's bed.

(He was taunting her. Why was he taunting her?)

In reply, Amani took all of her weapons and dropped them on the ground beside her, including her metal vessel no matter how naked she felt without Foras. She took her cloak off and folded it neatly. She then forced herself to walk forward.

One step, two steps, three steps

Right, Left, Right again

Kassim watched the whole time as she walked in silent amazement. It was as if he was watching her tightrope walking on a thin rope suspended between two skyscrapers when, in reality, she was simply walking across the room.

To him, her steps were flawless and unhesitant.

To her, she was inches away from stumbling onto her face or turning away to run.

Then, she stopped right in front of the young man she used to call her closest friend. She paused for a moment to consider her options and re-think her choices. She paused to bundle up a large amount of her courage because even she knew that "a lot" didn't always mean "enough". Amani was like a hydrophobic getting ready to dive into the deep-end of the pool. She was a fool for even thinking of doing this and she knew it.

Amani hugged Kassim anyways.

She was still standing, a little bent over, but still standing. Her back was still the closest to the door. But this was still a huge act and Kassim knew it judging by his stiff back. He didn't move. Whether he chose not to move or he _dared _not to move, Amani didn't know. She didn't ask. It was taxing enough that she was doing this.

"…So what? Are you trying to seduce me?" Kassim commented bitingly though the shake in his voice showed her that he didn't mean it like that.

"Shut up."

She still didn't like the sound of his tone, though.

"Shut up." She repeated, "And let me concentrate."

Breathe In.

_Tobacco_

Breathe Out.

Breathe In.

_Booze_

Breathe Out.

In.

_And Blood. So much blood. And pain. So much pain that he caused even though she trusted him she trusted him with everything even though she __**knew **__he was a liar and a traitor and selfish and so, so very jealous of her brother and maybe even __**hates **__her for everything-_

**Out.**

"You're shaking." He commented softly as if any volume louder than this one would scare her off. Then slowly, very slowly, his hand lifted up and rested on hers with a butterfly-soft touch. It was then when Amani realized that he was shaking too. "Are you scared of me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Amani's voice broke at the end. " I'm not scared of you. I'm fucking _terrified_ of you. I trusted you more than anyone, _even my own brother_. And then you did…**that **to me."

Kassim had the decency to cringe.

"I felt as if I couldn't trust anyone anymore." She whispered harshly, adding salt to the wound. "I felt as if it would be impossible for me to ever forgive you. But…"

"But?"

"I already decided a long time ago that I wouldn't hate you." Amani confessed while tightening her arms and drawing him closer. "So _let me concentrate_. Tomorrow, I want to be able to touch you without shaking, I want to talk with you without being reminded again and again of how you said nothing that night, I want to hold your hands without remembering that all those hands did was hold me down, and I especially want to see the stars with you again."

(She wanted them to be the way they were before everything happened.)

Kassim hesitantly brought his arms around Amani. When she didn't make any move to get out of his hesitant hug, he drew her closer and returned her tight embrace. He buried his face into her shoulder, making sure there was no skin contact.

"I'm sorry." She felt him say.

(Was he lying again?)

"I'm sorry, Amani."

(He never called her Amani.)

"Why?" She whispered.

Kassim didn't answer.

"No." Amani decided aloud. "I shouldn't be asking you that. Not anymore."

This was supposed to be her first attempt in forgiving him. Forgiving his acts in thought was easier to do, but seeing his face and hearing his voice made it so hard. But she was willing to try for herself.

This was for herself.

"I don't know why you did what you did. And maybe I will never know. But that doesn't matter. I already know that whatever you did that night was because you cared. It might have been selfish, but the Kassim I know would have done that for a good reason."

"Naïve." Kassim choked.

"I know." She sighed. "But that's how I decided to think. Your opinion doesn't matter on this subject. Besides, you still have to work hard for my forgiveness so you shouldn't be talking."

Amani gently pulled him to the bed and lied down without breaking the embrace. This time, she knew Kassim wouldn't try anything. (That, and she feared that if she let go, she'd never have the courage to interact with Kassim again.) She might have been a bit idealistic, but there was some realism mixed into her decision too.

_Besides, he will die_.

Amani squashed that thought. Nonsense. He was going to live. She was going to make sure that he was going to live. Kassim's death was a result of Al Thamen's efforts in changing fate so…

"Sleep. We're both tired and it's been a long day. Perhaps we can talk again like this tomorrow and I can hear something from you. Four years is a lot to catch up on and that doesn't even include the seven years before that."

"How can you trust me?"

Amani looked up at the moon. She wasn't so sure either but the gut instinct that had led her to her brother told her that she was safe tonight. It told her that the reason he had done what he did years before was obsolete the moment Shion gave her his offer. So he had no reason to do anything now.

But she couldn't give him a reason like that. "This isn't trust. My trust in you had been shattered years ago. That is something you must earn back along with my forgiveness. This is called a 'chance'. It's a one time thing so don't squander it."

"How?" He persisted.

"Why?" She countered back. "I just can't hate you. Let's just leave it at that."

This wasn't forgiveness. Amani wasn't even close to completely forgiving him.

But Kassim was family. Kassim was her strength. Kassim was her brother-friend. He was _worth _trying for. So she will.

She was.

The rest of the night, Amani pretended that Kassim's whole body didn't shake and shiver with some unnamed emotion. She pretended that she didn't feel his face scrunch up in guilt and self-hatred. And she definitely pretended that the growing damp spot on her shoulder wasn't there.

_One week left…_

* * *

Outside of the room, Cain pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and began making his way back to his room. Once he entered it, he reformed himself back to Sai.

He had known.

Being a liar and a secret-keeper himself, he knew that Amani had been lying when she told them that she didn't recognize the man who raped her and left her all broken inside and out.

Yes. He'd said it. Rape.

It didn't take long for him to put the pieces together and when he did, he wasn't happy with the results.

It didn't matter to him at all that Kassim had been a favorite character of his in his past life. Sai could not forgive him for doing what he did to his comrade. If that bastard came out of this whole arc alive, Sai would never accept him as his ally. Kassim had stepped over many lines in the manga, but this was a new low for him.

Sai had considered many times to just finish the slum rat's pitiful life in the past so the whole Balbadd incident wouldn't happen. But he didn't since he thought of it unfair to take away Amani's chance of revenge.

What he didn't know was how utterly _complicated _the whole situation actually was.

Sai could read people like a book without the help of Kougyoku's eye powers and it didn't take him long to see what was going on through Kassim's mind when he made subtle glances at Amani and fired out harsh quips.

The Blessed Child bit the inside of his cheek in frustration.

Why did Kassim's character have to be so goddamn _complex_? Why couldn't he just be like the other bad guys and stay _bad_ so he could continue hating him?

Stupid complications.

Sai let out a long sigh and sat back onto his bed. A small moth fluttered into the room through the glassless window.

"That bastard~ thinking that he has the right to insult _our '_Bee." He sang darkly while playing with his chakram. "He's lucky that she gave him another chance. If he messes this one up, he's going to be sashimi."

A symbol of Solomon glowed faintly on the small weapon.

"_Steal, Barbas_."

In seconds, the moth that had flown into the room was writhing helplessly on the floor as Sai loomed above it with a bitter smile and a small pair of wings between his fingers.

* * *

Shion blinked many times before his eyes got used to the light. He tried not to be too disturbed by the headless djinn coming out of the small flute and focused on Aladdin instead.

So this was what the magi looked like when he was a little kid. Aladdin as a kid was unexpectedly innocent and huggable-looking. The Aladdin in Shion's memories were…

Well, different.

"Thanks for saving me, Aladdin."

Aladdin grinned at him. "No problem! Where are your parents? Did they escape?"

"Ah, no. My parents aren't with me. I was captured alone when I was on my way to Balbadd to meet up with my friends." Shion informed the blue-haired magi. "I overheard that it's the location you're going to. Do you mind if I accompany you and the pretty Finalis?"

Morgiana blushed and Aladdin looked overjoyed.

"Of course!"

* * *

So Shion is with the Aladdin Crew! Yay!

I hope I portrayed Amani's interaction with Kassim correctly. It took a while to write. I want to make it clear that Amani hadn't forgiven Kassim for what he did yet. She just wanted to take her first, big step to getting there. (She's also** really** forcing herself in trying to forgive him since she's afraid that he'd die before she completely forgives him).

About the mystery Kou Prince Amani is engaged to...well, I'm not telling! You better guess for yourselves!

Hopefully, this wasn't a disappointing chapter.

If there are questions, confusions, criticism, or just plain statements that needs to be expressed, **REVIEW! **(Please? Otaku-sama loves them.)


	6. Chapter 5: Countdown to the Inevitable

To my readers,

Since my AP tests and finals are coming up, I'll be a little bit slower in producing new chapters. Don't worry, this is NOT a hiatus. I'm just going to spend some of my time studying since a lot of my grades are riding on these tests.

Thank you for understanding!

Now, to the story!

* * *

Children of Solomon

Chapter 5: Countdown to the Inevitable

* * *

_(On the day Amani reunited with her brother)_

Balbadd was a beautiful city.

Just like in the manga, Kougyoku decided to take a tour around the city. Though the three had come to Balbadd earlier than they had done in the canon plot (thanks to Shion and his insistence that she had to be there _three weeks _before anything important happened), the events that followed went similarly as the extra chapters portrayed with more details and excitement.

It was a good thing that Kougyoku had prepared Balbadd clothing for this purpose. When Koubun asked why those were in her traveling pack, she confessed that she had been planning on touring the city beforehand, much to his chagrin.

"Princess, please…slow down for your loyal vassal." Koubun panted. "You are moving too quickly."

Kougyoku immediately slowed down her pace. "I'm sorry, Koubun. I didn't mean to give you any trouble. I was just so excited to see the sights here. And the food! Everything smells so good!"

Judal smirked at the princess' obvious excitement. "Then you should check out their sweet bread, Princess. I heard that it's what they're known for. I tried it myself and it wasn't too shabby."

"The food connoisseur has spoken." Kougyoku told Koubun sagely in her Sai-voice. "We_ must _try it! Judal, can you lead us to the closest sweet bread stall? Maybe we can get some fresh peaches on the way. Oooh! Amani told me that they weave the most beautiful carpets here. Can we see that? And the stars! Amani said that they are marvelous when all the lights are out. I don't suppose I would be allowed up that late, do you?"

Kougyoku admitted to herself that her 'excitement' was a bit overkill but she needed to keep her mind off of everything that she saw. The whole country was shrouded with some sort of sickly depression that reminded her of a dying animal pet, driven to starvation by the negligence of their owners.

Judal and Koubun casually walked down the street, seemingly unbothered by the _wrongness _of the land. But, in their defense, they couldn't see what she saw.

"Fish for sale! Fresh fish just imported from Sindria!" Which meant it was two weeks old. The price was also higher than it was supposed to be. Kougyoku knew it was because of inflation, but the price that the man had set on his goods was too high for the common people to buy. This was a good sign that this man only wanted to attract the rich.

"Fruit! Fruit! Various assortments of fruit! Get your fruit right here!" Kougyoku picked a handful of peaches for Judal and went along her way. The fruit seller was a good hardworking man, so she paid extra so his family could have a full dinner tonight. The gratefulness that leaked out of the man's fingers as she gave him the coins was worth it the effort.

"Lady, lady, pretty lady! There's jewelry here for your pretty face! Half price for you since you're pretty!" A man cried out, shoving jewelry to her face. Kougyoku flinched when she saw the blood on them. The pretty stones were dulled by the corruption of their last masters. The metallic smell of the delicate chains strongly reminded the princess of freshly spilled blood and she had a feeling that it was the blood of the innocent and weak.

"Urgh."

Instinctively, she drew closer to Judal. Whenever there was blood, Judal was always the best person to be close to. Though he caused much bloodshed, the blood of others seemed to shrink back in his prescience. It was ironic, but Judal's aura rejected blood.

The black magi's hand snatched out and grabbed her shoulder as if to steady her. He shot the merchant a scathing glare and pointed his wand threateningly. Apparently, Judal was well known in Balbadd since there was recognition in the shaking man's eyes. "Back off. Or I'll kill you where you stand."

The man did just that.

The princess paled and blanched at the smell of fear that suddenly filled the market. Fear, to her, smelled of sour fruit and urine. It wasn't exactly her favorite smell but the palace also reeked of it from time to time. It seemed that they had everyone's attention now. Perhaps depending on Judal was a bad idea after all. She elbowed Judal harshly on the side. "Jerk." His fault for making the air sour.

Judal shot her a genuine look of confusion. "What did I do?"

She ignored him and walked on before stumbling again. This time, it was the stench of poverty from the street down on her right.

A _strong _stench of poverty

Koubun was immediately by her side. "What's wrong?"

"I just got a little dizzy, that's all." She lied with a forced smile. "The spices and food give off such an overwhelming smell. I guess I'm not used to these things."

"Well, then. I guess we should be going back to the hotel, then."

Oh no. Bad idea. If she were sentenced to her hotel room without any entertainment, she'd be bored for a whole two weeks. No way.

"Huh?" Kougyoku gave her attendant a kicked puppy look. Her eyes watered and her lip trembled. Koubun flinched and Judal gave him a dirty look despite their previous disagreement. Ah, the advantages of having such an expressive face. "B-But we didn't do anything yet! I just got a little overwhelmed, that's all. Oh _please_, let me look around a little longer! We still didn't try out those sweet breads Judal was talking about."

Koubun still didn't look convinced so Kougyoku decided to take out the big guns.

Kougyoku looked down 'sadly'. "I…I just wanted to enjoy the country and have a little fun before I get married. Is it foolish to want to spend my last days of being free with my two most precious people?"

"My lady…"

"Princess…."

At the end, Kougyoku won. As always.

* * *

"Why are you still here?"

Yasmine was not amused.

Kouha had decided to remain in Sasan and enjoy the wonders of the battlefield. It was amazing how stupidly persistent the barbarians were. No matter how many times they were wiped out by Raja and Yasmine (only her now), they always came back again.

At least Kouha had a fun time.

He had quite literally painted the whole battlefield with the blood of his enemies. Yasmine had to admit that his metal vessel was impressive and useful in the battlefield. He _had_ wiped out half of the intruders in one swing.

Yasmine took one last look at the sea of blood and corpses before turning away. "After you wash the blood off in the lake over there, you will leave." She informed the young man she (sometimes) considered a friend.

"Aw, how cold! And I helped you too!"

Yasmine wiped the blood off of her scythe before placing it onto her back. She ignored Kouha's whining and began walking away.

"You just did it for the bed."

* * *

_(On the day of Amani's confrontation to Kassim)_

Kougyoku stared out of the window while her fingers twitched for her hairpin. Koubun, very well knowing that she would eventually succumb to her desire to spar with _someone _during her time in the hotel, took her metal vessel away.

"Bored. Bored. Bored." She droned to herself.

It had already been a week since her coming to Balbadd. Though the hotel service was nice, she needed to be _outside_. In her last life, she enjoyed the outdoors and even slept outside when the weather was nice. It was sure better than being inside her house.

Sydney got hurt if she stayed inside the house too long...

Kougyoku lightly slapped both of her cheeks. No, no more thinking about being Harley! Now, she was Kougyoku, the eighth princess of Kou! She had power in this world and she was going to use it as much as she could!

That was why she couldn't risk her mind to wander from the mission-

_SPLAT_

Kougyoku's eyes twitched as a sticky substance slid down her face. "Judal…" She said in a scary voice. She turned to the dark magi, whose hand was frozen in a throwing position. She scowled when she saw the overly ripe fruit in his hand. The fact that he was planning to do it to her _again _aggravated her even _more._

"Well, I heard that fruit juice was good for the skin so I decided to try it on you, Princess!" He informed her cheerfully. He peered at her face. "Oh! I think it's actually working!"

She slowly got up while muttering darkly under her breath.

"-to three." Judal heard. He tilted his head to the side. "Eh? Princess, what did you say? I couldn't hear you."

In a clearer voice, she said to him: "You have until I count to three to escape." At the end of her sentence, her eyes grew dangerously sharp. "Just because I don't have my metal vessel, doesn't mean I can't wrap my hands around your scrawny neck, you bastard!"

For the rest of the day, Judal spent his time running away from the irate princess of Kou. It was an event that later on caused Kougyoku to gain a reputation of being an evil demon in disguise. Not that she minded. In her opinion, it made her seem strong and powerful. Koubun, on the other hand, was scandalized and blamed Judal.

In a retrospect, Kougyoku's boredom was cured. That was why she only kicked him _once_ when she caught him.

(Okay fine, it was in between the legs but can you blame her? He was being a prick.)

* * *

_Countdown: 6 days left_

"Alibaba…the whole tornado of fire is impressive and all, but is that all you can do?"

Alibaba looked up from his drink to face his sister.

Amani had changed in the four years they were separated. For one, it seemed that she was more…noticeable. Though, she _had _learned to control her unique abilities because of…something about being a Blessed Who? Alibaba couldn't remember.

"Ah…yeah. Why?"

Amani smacked her forehead, causing Alibaba's vein to pop. Hey, causing big huge bursts of fire was a pretty impressive power! Just because she did awesome things as a living didn't mean she had to talk down on his abilities! "Alibaba, you haven't mastered 'Djinn Equip' yet?"

Alibaba tilted his head to the side. "Djinn Equip?"

"_Must you always forget what I tell you, brother?_" Amani groaned. She had already known that Alibaba wasn't aware of Djinn Equip in the canon storyline, but she had gone through great lengths in informing him about the wondrous powers of a djinn and many, _many _other fun facts. Had he forgotten _everything _that she told him?

Cain stood behind her and patted her back comfortingly. "There, there, my lady. It isn't the young master's fault that it slipped his mind. He went through a lot in the past four years."

Amani sagged. "You're right."

Cain turned to Alibaba with a formal smile. "Young master, your sister would be more than happy to show you an example of a djinn equip. She had achieved hers for a while now."

"Don't go off making those decisions on your own." She muttered in irritation. "Aren't you supposed to be my loyal vassal?"

"And as your loyal vassal, I am merely suggesting a solution to the current issue." Cain informed her smartly. Amani _swore_ she saw him send her a taunting smirk when she wasn't looking and she couldn't help but scowl at him. "Besides, wouldn't it be _more productive _if you spent your free time teaching your brother the basics of djinn equip? Mastering the ability is a _long_ process, after all." He stressed the last part.

He did have a point. Amani supposed that it would be helpful if her brother knew how to perform 'djinn equip' properly, even if it's only a partial one, for the future events.

"Fine." She turned to Kassim. "Do you mind telling the others to clear the floor, Kassim? I'm afraid that my djinn equip requires space."

"Sure thing, Ghost." Kassim waved his hand at the crowd while using his other to light his cigar. Everyone got the message and did as their true leader told them to do. By only a few minutes, there was a good amount of room for Amani.

Cain tutted. "If you had went through the magoi controlling exercises as Master Sai instructed you to do so, you would have had the ability to perform your djinn equip in a small closet."

Amani ignored him and brushed her fingers against Foras. "Spirits of Logic and Ethnics, in the name of my Magoi and my will for a greater power, I order you and your members, Come forth Foras!"

In truth, summoning your djinn was a quiet affair. Amani didn't know why it was necessary to chant fancy words when all you had to do was give your djinn a mental nudge. But, it looked and sounded cool so Amani just rolled with it. Who knows? Perhaps some poor sod would fall for the deception and assume that summoning djinn required a battle cry. That would put metal vessel users to an advantage.

Sand trickled out of the gourd like water. Many who weren't aware of the gourd's supernatural abilities were shocked by the endless amount of sand that poured out and spilled onto the ground. In one, fluid movement, the sand covered every inch of Amani's skin.

A moment later, most of the sand fell away, leaving behind a white two-piece outfit that was reminiscent to the style of the swimsuit back in her past life. A thin, see-through garment was wrapped around the lower half of her body as if in a poor attempt in covering what the thin patches of sand on her legs didn't. A small, almost imperceptible metal pin held it together, looking as if any movement would cause the cloth to fall away. A gold pattern that bore a strong resemblance to well-spaced _henna_ graced Amani's arms, accompanied by simple gold bracelets and anklets.

By her side, what originally had been a gourd was now a large yet lithe sword with an hourglass ornament swinging to and fro.

An unraveled scroll written in a language that none could read was thrown haphazardly around her shoulders, the ends just barely away from the ground.

Upon her head was a net of tiny gold chains that "cried" small beads of glass into her white hair. Upon her forehead was a teardrop shaped piece of amber.

Energy was still rampant in the air of the hideout after the transformation and Amani did her best to dispel as much as she could. She could feel Cain's subtle energy aiding her in her small chore. By the time she was finished, the whole hideout was silent in awe.

Eyes were on her form, some in admiration and some in fear. Hassan whistled appreciatively at Amani's exposed form, which resulted a double attack from a scandalized Alibaba and an irate Zaynab. A newly lit cigar fell to the floor from a gaping mouth.

Cain, on the other hand was trying not to laugh.

These were one of the times when Amani remembered that her djinn form, though more modest than Kougyoku's, was _way too _revealing for the eyes of the average man.

"That's my _sister_ you're ogling at, you bastard!"

Or maybe it was just Alibaba.

Amani glanced at the other slum members who looked on to the scene more calmly and normally after the shock of the transformation wore off. Then she looked back at Alibaba's red face.

It was just Alibaba.

"Brother…it's fine." Amani soothed. "Hassan was just trying to be funny. Weren't you Hassan? He already has a beautiful woman like Zaynab to 'ogle' at so you should calm down."

Zaynab blushed at this and ceased beating up her boyfriend. The gratitude on Hassan's face could have lit up a thousand suns. "Right."

But Alibaba wasn't as soothed. "Cover yourself up, Amani! That, that, that is _no way_ a proper woman like you should look! Don't you have any shame? Isn't your body reserved for your husband?" Amani gave him a look. She still wasn't married yet so that reason was void.

"This is my body fused with the body of my djinn, brother. I hardly think that this is embarrassing since I've seen djinn equips _far_ less modest than this form is." Amani sighed as her brother threw his shirt at her face. She tugged it off of her head. "If you want to battle other metal vessel users properly, you need to becomes used to this."

Cain finally laughed.

"What's so funny?" Alibaba shouted at the laughing bodyguard. Cain coughed in mirth. "Young master Alibaba, I understand your concern for your sister's chastity but that was already taken _years _ago so be at ease. She is no longer a child. As you are supposedly a man, she is a woman."

The air momentarily stilled at the not-so-subtle mention of the _incident _four years ago but Alibaba remained oblivious. "What? Amani, y-you are not a-?" _Virgin? Not anymore?_

Amani bit her lip and hung her head. After gathering her wits, she looked up with a hardened expression. "Alibaba. My affairs are my own."

"But-

"What _should_ be your concern is honing your abilities so you could come closer to _my_ level." She tossed Alibaba's shirt back to him. "Alibaba, _you _are the God Troupe's leader. _You _are the master of Amon. _You _are the one who, out of the three princes, understand the true meaning of pain and hunger. You want to help our people? _Then work for it._ You want to improve their lifestyles? _Then take the power to improve it. _You want to save our country?"

The sand around Amani began shifting and moving around her like wind or snakes. Many warily stepped back when it began to look as if it a mini-sandstorm was going to start. The sand suddenly snatched out, grabbed Alibaba, and tugged him right in front of his angered sister.

"_Then stop being such a prude and actually __**pay attention **__to what I'm going to teach you!"_

Alibaba gulped.

"Is that clear?"

The blonde nodded quickly.

Amani's stance relaxed and the sand loosened their grip. She patted his head as if in apology for her outburst. "Though this form may be revealing, it is a mimicry to my djinn's appearance." The sand now formed around Amani as if defensively. "Learn how to attain this form and you will hone _all _of your djinn's abilities.

_And maybe then he would save Kassim._

No, no, Kassim wouldn't need to be saved. She had his life secured. They were already changing fate, weren't they?

* * *

Kougyoku stared at Judal. Judal stared at Kougyoku.

She was half naked. He was blushing.

_Well, _she thought coolly as the dark magi continued to stare in part horror and part fascination, _at least I can confidently say that he can be embarrassed._

It was the typical "boy accidentally running into the room while girl is indecent" situation and Kougyoku honestly couldn't find the energy to feel overly upset about. So what if he caught her shirtless? It wasn't as if this was the first time something this embarrassing happened. She remembered the times in her last life when a friend's little brother accidentally walked into her changing. Now _that _was embarrassing.

This was just Judal.

Judal continued on his red-faced staring.

Kougyoku finally spoke.

"You pervert."

* * *

_Countdown: 5 days left_

"Amani! Amani!"

Amani paused her conversation with Kassim and Alibaba to turn to the owners of the small voices that called out for her. She automatically knelt down to her knee and scooped up as many children as her arms could carry. They attacked her with wide hugs and multiple kisses.

"Thank you, Princess! Because of you, your brother, and the Fog Troupe, we get to eat two whole meals every day!" They chirped happily. Amani laughed along with them.

"I hope you are all eating well. There is no good in having hungry children, is there?"

Cain walked into the hallway, gaining many of the children's attention. They squealed gleefully at the sight of their favorite playmate and abandoned Amani's side to go and bother him.

Amani smiled amusedly as Cain was toppled over by the unexpected barrage of hugs and tackles. Demands for an exciting game filled the whole hideout, giving it a little bit more cheer despite the slight darkness in it. "And the fool says he wouldn't be a good father."

"He said that?" Alibaba asked quizzically. "I can't imagine a better parent figure than Cain. What would make him say such a thing?"

Kassim shrugged. "Appearances could be deceiving."

_You can say that again_. Amani thought. It was a bit unnerving how close to the truth Kassim was with that statement. "Actually," she said aloud, "he believes that he'd be like his father."

When Alibaba and Kassim shared a confused look, she realized that Cain had not told them about his backstory at all. He probably did so because he wanted her to explain it herself. The lazy jerk.

"He didn't tell you?" She asked hesitantly, knowing what their answer is. The pair nodded and looked at her expectantly. She sighed. "Cain was a bastard son of a Lord of the Western Lands. His father visited Kou and enjoyed it enough to stay for years. Cain's mother was a Kou-born servant who served under him. Cain's father loved to gamble a lot so, when he lost all the fortune he brought over to Kou, he sold Cain's pregnant mother. His mother died after having him. Cain was born as the lowest position of the low in the social ladder of the Kou Empire, a street urchin." She recited.

Well, there were some parts of the story that held some truth in it so Amani didn't feel guilty for lying.

Alibaba nodded slowly. "He did mention to me once that both of you met because of an apple. Did he try stealing it?"

"For survival." Amani defended. "Even I could relate to that situation. So I saved him before he faced any harsh punishment. It was because of his noticeable blonde hair like yours that allowed the officials the recognize who his sire was."

"That was why he was allowed to serve as your bodyguard."

Amani nodded. "Cain knew about his father long before meeting me. The servants who worked with his mother did their best in raising him before sending him off to the streets. He despises sharing the same blood with the man who threw away his mother and believes that he would turn out the same too."

Alibaba scoffed. "What a ridiculous idea. He's not his father."

"But he has his father's blood flowing through him." Kassim reminded his friend. A moody look overcame his face. Amani remembered how Kassim thought about himself and winced. "He could be right."

"But he's **not**." Alibaba insisted. "Just because he shares the same blood with someone despicable doesn't mean make _him _despicable! Cain is a good guy because of _his _own experiences and _his _own actions!" He told her passionately.

Amani shot her brother a relieved smile. It was good that her existence didn't change how Alibaba viewed other people. "I'm glad that you feel that way, Alibaba."

Kassim also looked relieved and a bit enlightened by Alibaba's proclamation.

Hope rose in Amani's chest. Maybe…?

Alibaba shot his sister a sneaky smile. "Ohoho! Sister, are you worried because you harbor _feelings _for Cain?"

Both Amani and Kassim's smile fell.

"Brother," Amani deadpanned, "he's my _bodyguard_."

Alibaba wiggled his brows childishly. "So?"

"_So."_ Amani stressed. "A romantic relationship between us would be highly inappropriate, not to mention disgusting. Do you see me as a potential love interest, Kassim?"

The person in question looked up in surprise at the sudden question aimed at him. "Ah, actually I-

"See?" Amani interrupted while pointing at her childhood friend. "Cain's position is like a family member. He protects me with his abilities while I protect him with my position and power. It's a mutualistic relationship that would be ruined beyond repair if we were to be in a romantic relationship so it's out of the question. He's an equivalent to an unrelated brother, just like Kassim. Alibaba, would you even consider marrying me?"

"No!"

"Have I made my point?" Amani asked.

"Yes." Kassim said sourly from his side.

"Still," her brother insisted, "would you even _consider_ looking at a brother-figure romantically?" He asked in a tone that suggested that he wanted to hear something from her. Well, he'd be disappointed, then.

"Alibaba, I know that you take my best interests in heart. But even if I hold any of those feelings, I'll never act on them. It would be too cruel to indulge in my selfish wishes with another to only leave them for my fiancé." She shook her head at his downcast expression. It was so naïve of her brother.

"'My feelings go after my people'. " She quoted. "As the daughter of a king, it is my duty to form alliances for the sake of my nation and my people. This is the burden that the women of the royal family have to bear."

Alibaba shook his head somberly. "But you deserve to be happy."

"I am happy." Amani insisted. "I can't be any more happy than I am now. I have friends, family, power, and a place to call home. What more can I ask for? I have a fortunate enough fate that I would trade for no other since I have both of you." She placed her hand on each of the boys' shoulder and squeezed.

"It may not be perfect, but it is fate."

Alibaba reluctantly nodded while Kassim avoided her eyes and remained silent.

_(Are you, really? Content, I mean.)_

* * *

"Oi, Yasmine!"

Yasmine didn't look up at the call of her name and continued sharpening her weapon. It thrummed in content at the pampering she was giving it. "Hmm? You're still here? I thought I told you to go."

Kouha pouted from his perch on her bed. He finally was able to lay claim over it, much to her chagrin.

"Come here and entertain me! I'm bored!"

Yasmine wondered what sort of 'entertainment' the prince had in mind. Hopefully, it was of a more innocent kind of game that didn't involve blood staining the sheets.

As if he read her mind, Kouha rolled his eyes. "Not like that. I only want to hear a story or play a word game. It's been a while since I had a suitable playmate. The ones back in the palace are _boring_."

"What about JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin?" Yasmine had met them only briefly when she visited Kou and found their presence enjoyable. Unfortunately, they avoided her after their first meeting no matter how much she sought them out in the palace.

She has a feeling they didn't like her very much.

"They don't know how to play those games." Kouha said regretfully. "No matter how many times I try teaching them, they always forget! But they are the best subordinates that anyone could ever have." He added loyally.

Yasmine smiled.

"Then the next time you come, bring them over. I'll be more than happy to teach them how to play the game. The problem might be how you're explaining it."

Kouha perked up and grinned. "So I can come over again? Soon?"

Shit

"Not too soon." Yasmine amended. "You took too much of my time already."

"Next week then."

"…Only if you leave by tomorrow." She compromised since arguing with the third prince of Kou was both a waste of time and energy. He always seemed to win.

* * *

_Countdown: 4 days left_

"Oi, what are you thinking so hard about?"

Kougyoku looked up from the letter than Yasmine sent to see Judal perching at her window. The weather was nice tonight so she kept them open. If she knew what pest it would let it, she would've kept them closed.

Koubun finally had it when Judal painted her face blue two days ago so he forbade him from getting even _close _to her until she met and married her husband to be.

Of course, that didn't stop him from visiting her.

Kougyoku's eyes wandered back to the letter. "Just thinking about what to write back to Yasmine. It seems that Kouha is bothering her."

"Again?"

"Yes. And I don't think Yasmine understands that telling him to 'go away' only encourages him to stay longer."

Judal hummed. "Well, her bed _is _very comfortable. I can't blame Kouha for wanting to sleep in it. How the hell is it like that? I thought it was filled with hay."

That…was a really good question.

"I have absolutely no idea. But I can ask Yasmine for you, if you like."

* * *

_Dear Yasmine,_

_ Just ignore Kouha until he leaves. Don't worry. It won't take long for him to lose interest. Or bribe him. That usually works. I'd know. He's my brother._

_ Love, _

_ Kougyoku_

_BTW, how the heck is your bed so comfy?_

* * *

Yasmine crumpled the piece of paper in irritation. Not only was the letter a whole week late, but the contents of this letter were also an equivalent to a simple, five-minute note. Just what was Kougyoku even doing in Balbadd?

Why was everyone so obsessed with her bed?

* * *

A couple hours into the evening, Kougyoku and Judal sat at the edge of the roof while munching on a handful of peaches that he snatched from a fruit stand. Psh, bastard probably didn't pay. It sounded like him. But she was no saint either so she didn't call him out for it. It was also because the fruit was delicious.

"I've never seen so many stars." Kougyoku marveled with her mouth full. Judal snickered at her lack of decorum. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Princess. It's not very polite, you know." He mocked.

"Psh, as if I need to be all polite with you." She snorted.

Judal chuckled again and spat a seed at the head of a noble walking into the hotel. It hit him square on the head. "Bulls eye!" The dark magi crowed. Kougyoku clapped.

"Bravo, bravo." She drawled with a yawn. "Wow. It's getting late. I can't believe that Koubun didn't find us yet. I thought that it would be obvious since I talked about the stars so much."

Judal shrugged. "Glasses _is _an idiot. I wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't find us until morning."

Kougyoku leaned against Judal's side and used his shoulder as a pillow. He began to protest but she silenced him with a firm glare. "I'm going to enjoy as much time as I can outside before stuffy Koubun puts me back inside. It's been a while since I've enjoyed the outside, stayed up this late, and ate snacks with a friend."

She was suddenly ripped away from her comfortable position on Judal's shoulder and was forced face-to-face with the irritated face of the Oracle of Kou. Both of his hands were at her shoulders, holding her directly parallel to him so that they could actually see each other in the eyes.

"_Just_ a friend?" He demanded.

Kougyoku sighed mentally. She forgot how touchy and childish Judal could be about their relationship. It was easy to forget about his infatuation with her during her time in Balbadd. Actually, it was easy to forget that every time he acted like a complete ass.

But she had to admit that he was behaving. (For you.)

"What do you expect? For me to say that we're more than that? Judal, I'm _engaged_ to the Balbadd King. Don't you remember the reason why we're here?" She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. Judal tended to forget things that he selectively decides are useless information, like some people's names.

"No."

Of course

"Well, we're here because I'm getting married."

Judal childishly pulled her to him. "I can always carry you off somewhere far away where you don't have to marry any dumb pig." So he _did _remember her oh-so-pleasant fiancé's appearance. "I can take you to a place where you can eat, play, and act however and whenever you like. It's possible. I can do it."

"But aren't you a precious Oracle? Wouldn't people notice your disappearance?"

Judal ignored her sound logic and continued fantasizing aloud. "We'll go to a place where _they _can't find us. Somewhere where _they_'d never reach us. It'll be a place where no one could take you away so you'd be used as some sort of sick tool."

Kougyoku had a feeling that they weren't talking about her anymore. Her heart welled up in pity since she _knew _how Al Thamen could be. They were manipulative bastards who took advantage of an infant's mind. She briefly wondered how Judal would have turned out if Al Thamen hadn't intervened into his fate.

"It would be somewhere close to the sea." Kougyoku continued onto where he left off. "It would be somewhere where there is an endless bounty of various food and creatures. It would be somewhere separated from the world. It would be somewhere warm, very warm."

Judal gave her a funny look. "Why warm?"

"So the sea would have its use. I heard that swimming in the water during summertime was a fun activity." She hummed under her breath. "There would also be enough fruits to last a lifetime in our special place."

Judal smiled at that.

"I'm still getting married." She added reluctantly.

He scowled and leaned forward. "Then I'll just kidnap you and be done with it."

"Yeah…good luck with that." Kougyoku said without any real concern. Judal may say these things, but he was aware of Al Thamen's watchful gaze on his every move. They would never let him get away like that, not since he was their Magi. He won't try knowing that.

(But you want him to, don't you? You want him to take you away from this scary, scary fate so you won't make any mistakes.)

"I'm serious." He insisted.

She nodded absentmindedly. "Tell me when."

(I'll go. If you're serious about this, I'll go.)

* * *

_Countdown: 3 days left_

"Bee, we need to talk."

Cain, no _Sai,_ walked into her room and closed the door. He still spoke in Cain's voice, but he was in his original form. "What is it? Did you get another message? We haven't heard from Shion recently so I was getting worried."

"No, it's not about that kid." Sai denied. He switched to English. "I want to talk to you about our mission. We're going to involve ourselves into the story. We already did that. But Bee, there's something that I want you to know about the other part of the mission."

Amani tilted her head. "What?"

Sai's expression hardened. "Well, I've put some thought into our plan and I found that there's one huge problem, one flaw."

"You said that your plan was foolproof."

"That was until a _fool _disabled everything I worked hard for. Bee, you weren't completely honest with us." Sai's voice took on an accusatory tone. "I know who he is."

Amani's blood ran cold at the sentence. "What?"

"_Don't _play dumb. You're a smart girl, Bee. You know who I'm talking about." Sai rubbed his face. "Kassim." He said, confirming her fears.

Amani's horrified face said it all.

"I'm pissed." Sai admitted. "And I'm still tempted to strangle him right now. But I won't since you hid it from all of us to protect him from us. That means something, doesn't it? He's important to you."

"Yes."

"But that's not the issue right now." Sai said dismissively. "I would've left you alone about it if it weren't for the fact that it changed a _major_ part of the plan."

"So, what did I mess up?" Amani asked, dreading the answer.

"Well," Sai said slowly, "it's not exactly _you_. It's more like…_him_ and a little bit of Alibaba too. Kassim's personality and attitude might be the same, but his reasons are a bit different from canon now that you're in the picture."

"Me?" Amani asked. "What does this have to do with me? I thought my presence hardly changed anything in the canon. I avoided most of the major events. I kept my head down. I was _invisible_."

"Not to him." Sai muttered.

"What?"

"Never mind. I'll take care of the Kassim problem." He said hastily. "It's more Alibaba we need to be worried about. Your brother saves Kassim from depravity in canon but we can't be sure that this will happen this time. Alibaba may be friends with Kassim. He may feel as if they share a close, unbreakable bond. But there's one, huge factor that we didn't add in. Kassim messed up big time. You were hurt. _Alibaba doesn't know._"

Amani froze in horror.

"Bee, I know you've somehow convinced yourself that we could prevent Kassim from becoming a dark vessel, but that's looking like an inevitable fate for him no matter how this plays out. I'm going to do my best to do something about this, but Kassim might face an even worse fate if it doesn't happen and you'll stunt your brother's emotional growth by a mile."

(Choose. Whose life will you destroy? Alibaba's or Kassim's?)

"He's not going to die."

(Alibaba?)

"Bee, he is." Sai insisted sadly. "It sucks but it's unavoidable. No matter what route we take, there's a huge possibility that he's going to die."

"No."

(Or Kassim?)

"_Yes_, Bee. It hurts and I know but you have to start accepting that he's going to die. And I'm not lying this time. This time, it's all the truth. I might hate his guts for what he did to you, but I'm still trying my best to give everyone a happy ending while we save the world. I wanted Kassim to be with you too. I really do. _But I'm not God. _I can't automatically decide an ending without any consequences."

(Who will you choose, Amani? Who?)

"He's going to die." Amani (finally, finally) realized. "He's going to die and I didn't tell him that I forgive him. I didn't tell him-

Sai took the young woman by the shoulders and gave her a firm shake. "Calm. Down. Clear your mind. I get that you're stressed but we need a clear mind from here on out for this to play out correctly. Yes, his death is absolute and unchangeable, but if we don't do something about Alibaba's confrontation with Kassim…"

Amani finished the thought for him.

"He won't save Kassim. Because of me."

Sai nodded soberly.

"There's a possibility that we won't be able to save Kassim."

(But you knew that all along, didn't you? You would choose Alibaba. No matter what happens to everyone else.)

* * *

_Countdown: 2 days left_

Alibaba was worried.

Lately, Amani was tense and jumpy about anything. Everyone could see that but no one commented on it. Even Kassim turned a blind eye to Amani's plight, which is unusual for him to do.

Alibaba was not as oblivious as people thought he was.

He may have a hard time catching onto things, but once he understood a situation, he understood it completely. Djinn Equip may have been a foreign concept to him, but he never did forget his sister's lessons. He only feigned ignorance to see what his sister could do (which was a mistake since she revealed _way _too much in front of so many men in his opinion).

But there was something…something that everyone was keeping him in the dark about.

When the members of the Fog Troupe thought he wasn't looking, they'd glance at each other meaningfully when he brought up "Amani" and "_that _night" in the same sentence. Alibaba wasn't stupid. They were keeping something from him and he had a feeling that it had to do with his sister.

He asked, but anyone he'd question was tight-lipped about it. It was as if the subject was a taboo in Balbadd.

"You worried about your sister, young master?"

Alibaba almost sighed in relief. Cain! Of course! He should be able to give Alibaba all the answers. "Yes. And I want to know what's going on." And that came out more demanding than he intended. Judging by Cain's expression, he agreed.

"Ah…I mean…is there anything serious happening with my sister? She's worried but she wouldn't open up to me." Alibaba corrected himself.

Cain hummed. "She's going through a dilemma which involves you."

"Me?" Alibaba said in alarm.

"Yes. Don't worry. You didn't do anything on purpose. My lady is just a natural worrier when it involves you."

Alibaba nodded. "She was always like that. When Mom died, she practically raised me, outside and inside the palace." He hesitated. "Do you…possibly know what happened-?

-On the night Kassim attacked the palace? Not the details but I got the gist of it from the talk that went around the court." Cain glanced at Alibaba with (bitter?) amusement. "Why? Curious?"

He scowled. "More like frustrated. Everyone else knows about my sister except me." Alibaba complained.

Cain patted him on the shoulder. "It's for the better. And when I say this, I say this as a close confidant and friend of your sister. When she feels it is right, she will tell you. Many things happened when you left Balbadd, things change. But one thing about your sister that remains constant is her love for you. She loves you very much and is willing to do anything for you, young master. Even risk her own life." Cain told Alibaba seriously.

"I know that."

A dark, scornful look crossed Cain's face. It was such a un-Cain expression that Alibaba blinked to make sure that he was seeing clearly. But it was gone the second time he looked. It must have been his imagination. (But he _saw _it. He did.)

Cain's expression was more chiding and disappointed this time around. (Not scornful. Allah knows what got into him to think that _Cain_, cheerful, friendly Cain, could be scornful.) It was the sort of look that mothers would give to their children when they did something wrong. Alibaba found himself feeling silly and ashamed.

"Do you, Prince Alibaba? Do you really?"

"Of course!" Alibaba insisted. "Since she's my sister. And I will do the same for her since I'm her brother."

But Alibaba felt as if the true answer was: _No, he did not know and he probably wouldn't even come close to what Amani did for him no matter how much he tried._

* * *

_Countdown: 1 day left_

"Alibaba? Did you just say that your friend is named Alibaba?"

Shion knew he was laying it thick, but he was an eight-year-old. Kids his age usually did stuff like this, right? But he needed to make a connection, some sort of reason for him to stick with Aladdin and Morgiana. He originally planned to work in the hotel Kougyoku was in as a bellboy, but being imprisoned by slavers threw off his part of the plan immensely.

It was fate and luck that he had managed to meet these two main players of his version of fate and he wasn't going to lose it.

_Aladdin, the Fourth Magi from Alma Toran, mentor and friend, died fighting for this world_

"Why? Do you know him, Shion?" Aladdin asked hopefully. Shion sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "Sort of. I never actually met him, but one of the close friends I have to meet up with is his sister."

Aladdin's eyes shone brightly. "Sister? Alibaba has a sister?"

"Yeah," Shion grinned boyishly, "and they're twins. Her name is Amani and she's the nicest person in the world." _When she's not angry._ "I'm sure that she met up with Alibaba and that they're waiting for us right in Balbadd!"

"Yeah!"

Morgiana smiled at the boys' enthusiasm.

_Morgiana, Savior of Slaves, mentor and friend, died of magoi overuse from using her household vessel to protect her home_

"And I also can't wait to meet Sai and Kougyoku again. Well, more Kougyoku than Sai since he's a bit of a bully." Shion reconsidered thoughtfully. "But they're all good so it'll be nice to reunite with them." _Well, a month __**is**__ sort of a long time for us to be separated…_

"We will see our friends again! And Morgiana will take the earliest ship to the Dark Continent! Everyone will be happy once we reach Balbadd!" The blue-haired child exclaimed.

Shion smiled. It still surprised him how much this Aladdin was different from the Aladdin he grew up with. Though, he _was _supposed to be discovered by the magi six years later so a lot could happen during that time period. Shion found that this Aladdin was more open, relatable, and _innocent. _

It was as if he was meeting a stranger, not an old friend.

But he supposed that these things happen when one time travels. Shion could only be relieved that Morgiana's character wasn't so different. A bit more closed, but that was to be expected from a recently freed slave. Shion would give her a few weeks before she was smiling and dancing like the old "Mor" he knew.

"Can I call you 'Mor', Miss Morgiana? Or would that nickname be too informal?"

Shion asked the Finalis. Morgiana weighed the options in her mind before shaking her head. "No, you can call me that."

"Yay! Mor! I like that nickname!" Aladdin cheered. "This is so great. I have two good friends traveling with me. I can't wait until we get to Balbadd so we can meet Alibaba soon."

"We'll meet him soon if we follow this road." She assured him with a demure smile.

"Yep! That's right!"

With those words exchanged, the trio continued on the road with lifted hearts and determined eyes towards their dreams, their hopes, their future, and…

…A naked man

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Hey guys! Nice weather today!" The man greeted cheerfully.

Shion gaped at the man's bold display of his privates while Aladdin shielded Morgiana with his staff. "Mor, Shion, this is bad! Stay back! It might be a monster!"

"No, leave this to me!" Morgiana insisted while stepping in front of the two young boys defensively. Shion had no complaints. He knew the strength of the Finalis and had full confidence that she could send the pervert flying with a single kick.

"Huh? No! You're wrong! Listen to me!" The man insisted. Despite the craziness of the situation, a long buried instinct inside Shion roared to life. It was the gut feeling that the young king had during his time in the future. It was the instinct that never failed to lead him to the right path during his years of ruling.

It was a nice feeling to have it back. The last time Shion had awoken this ability was when he was fourteen, the age when he was discovered and chosen as a king's candidate by Aladdin.

But this time, it was different. Shion's sight was clearer and the correct choices laid in front of him were more obvious.

Shion saw the world in with new eyes. It was as if the world was filled with ripples and waves. Every wave was different from the other. The waves coming off of this man were powerful and intimidating. But they were also amiable and noble.

This man was not bad.

"Aladdin. Mor." He called out calmly to the pair from behind. "I think we should hear Mister out. I have a feeling that he's not walking around like that on purpose." _Though he's doing a poor job in showing any shame. _"Trust me on this."

Reluctantly, the two lowered their defenses and allowed the naked man to explain himself. Turned out that the man was robbed in his sleep of everything that he owned. Taking pity on his situation, Aladdin lent him his clothes.

They looked ridiculous on him.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes, Aladdin. My name is Sin. I'm a merchant and I'm also heading to Balbadd." The man introduced himself. A wave of familiarity washed over Shion. He tilted his head in confusion. It was the same feeling he had when he heard Aladdin's story during his time in the cell.

Was this man supposed to be important?

Shion felt as if he should know this man.

He remained immersed in thought even when the group began moving. Sin, being the kind man he was, lifted Shion up and placed him on his shoulder. "Tired, huh? Wouldn't be surprised. I heard you crossed an _entire_ desert by yourself. Is that true?"

Shion nodded. "Though it didn't go that well. I didn't pack enough food and water so I passed out mid-way. A couple of slavers found me and imprisoned me. I guess they sort of saved me in a way."

"That's fate."

Shion nodded in agreement.

The wind blew and Shion smelled the sea and Balbadd. The view of the whole city unraveled in front of Shion's eyes and filled every inch of his being with its essence. Amani had once described Balbadd 'sinking into her' when she first opened her eyes. Was this the same feeling?

There was a time when Shion was the same height as Sin. There was a time when he looked onto this same exact city in this same exact position as it burned to the ground. In his future, Balbadd was no more.

Shion's grip on Sin's shoulder tightened.

This time, things were going to be different. He was going to save many, many lives this time. Not take. _Save_. And he wasn't alone. He had Amani, Yasmine, Kougyoku, and Sai beside him.

"So this is Balbadd!"

* * *

_Yasmine,_

_ Change of plans. It's time._

_- Shion_

* * *

_Countdown: End_

* * *

Yes! The Balbadd Arc is about to begin! And Sinbad finally makes his debut!

I found his introduction hilarious so I couldn't resist!

Some Clarifications:

Sai: He hates Alibaba and Kassim. Any indication of him being nice to them is just an act.

Judal: If he seems too OOC in this chapter, it's because his thoughts are being influenced by Kougyoku being Harley. His relationship with her is not only different because of his infatuation with her, but also because of her more confident and short-tempered personality. She is more aware of common sense so she's more of a mentor to that area to Judal. He's learning and maturing slowly. It's pretty much a long process since he's practically an adult-child.

Shion: The "ability" he unlocked upon meeting Sinbad is sort of like L's(from _Death Note_) gut instinct or Tsuna's (from _Katekyo Hitman Reborn_) Hyper Intuition.

Hopefully, this was a good chapter!

Remember,

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 6: Signal

The AP Tests are finished! Hallelujah!

I think a little part of my soul died in that exam. But! I'm finished! Which means I have more time to write! But then again, I have finals to think about too... :(

But here it is! I wrote an extra-long chapter just for you guys for your patient wait!

Thank you very much for taking the time in reading this author's note and please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"_Shion, never let them see your hair."_

"_Why, Uncle?"_

"_Because they will kill you once you do."_

"_Who, Uncle? Who are __**they**__?"_

* * *

**Children of Solomon**

Chapter 6: Signal

* * *

Shion remained with Aladdin and Morgiana in the nice hotel that Sin promised to pay for. Kougyoku prepared herself to meet with her fiancé by Koubun's request. Amani and Sai geared up for the next evening's raid. Yasmine began her journey toward Balbadd.

All were in position.

None had the desire to risk falling into depravity.

None had the desire to rule great kingdoms.

None had the desire to change the world.

All of those things were a _necessity, _a _sacrifice_. Though all could choose to lead normal, comfortable lives, they had chosen the road that required them to act, to play the part of a character in a story that only they are aware of. They chose to do this for the future that would bring the most happiness, the most success.

From this moment forward, they were no longer themselves. They were fighters who strove to escape from the apocalypse that would eventually come.

The curtain rises. Their masks are placed. The great breath they take.

_And they wait for the signal._

* * *

Shion stared up at the freckled man scolding Sin and the huge Finalis beside him.

_I miss having the Blessed Children at my side._ The Inner Child Shion wailed. These subordinates were scary and intimidating. The freckled man may not look like much compared to his bigger and bulkier companion, but the amount of restrained killing intent almost overwhelmed Shion's eight-year-old body.

He hated being a kid again.

But these two…again, he felt as if he should recognize them. _Why _did this body have such a short-term memory span?

The whole argument was interrupted by a loud growling sound coming out of Shion's stomach. He blushed at the sudden attention on him and began shuffling on his feet. Another growling sound was heard, confirming the first.

The freckled man with the killer's aura knelt down in front of him and checked him over worriedly like a mother would to her child. "When was the last time you ate?"

"…Two days ago." Shion confessed.

Aladdin and Morgiana blanched. How did they not realize that their youngest companion wasn't eating? Shion caught their looks and began assuring them that it wasn't their fault.

"I noticed that the food rations that you packed for the journey was running low so I skipped a few meals. I didn't want to be a burden to the two of you since both of you were kind enough to let me travel with you." Shion explained. "So don't blame yourselves."

"Still!" Aladdin insisted. "You're our friend!

Morgiana nodded in agreement "You should tell us when you decide things like that. We could have eaten lesser portions so all of us could eat."

Shion looked down ashamedly. "Sorry."

He hadn't been completely honest with them. The truth was, Shion had completely forgotten about eating. The thought about food had completely fallen from his mind when his mind went in circles about the events that would happen in Balbadd. It was frustrating that he's been forgetting details about his past life by the day. The stress and frustration that was caused by his memory loss drew his attention away from eating and sleeping.

The freckled man shook his head muttering something about 'the youth these days' before taking Shion by the hand. "We have some snacks back in our hotel room. After you eat up _properly_," he gave Shion a firm look, "we will bring you back to your friends."

"Yes sir." Shion followed the man obediently. He found that, despite his seemingly petite size, the freckled man's stride was wide reaching and hard to match with his short, stubbly legs. It became hard for Shion after a while but the freckled man didn't seem to notice.

Again, Shion hated his body.

Seeing that he was struggling to keep up with the freckled man, the Finalis lifted him up and carried him. "Here." The man said shortly. Shion was surprised that the man's voice was smooth and a bit gentle, a major contrast to his appearance. Catching Shion's confused expression, the Finalis grunted in amusement.

"Masrur put him down! You're scaring the poor boy." The freckled man scolded. Shion's sharp eyes caught the slight slump in the giant man's shoulders at his superior's chastisement.

"No he isn't." Shion quickly defended the kind Finalis. "He's being nice."

Then, he realized how snappy and rude that statement sounded. When had he started talking like that? He knew better than to do that! He was an _adult _for Solomon's sake! Shion bashfully ducked down his head both in apology and embarrassment. "I mean," he corrected himself, "it's not his fault. So don't yell at him. Please." He added in the end to appease the freckled man.

The said freckled man looked Shion over before sighing in defeat. "No, it's my fault. I made the wrong assumption. Forgive me, Masrur."

Masrur shook his head. "It's fine, Ja'far."

Sin looked onto this interaction with a fond smile on his face.

Masrur patted Shion's turban-clad head as an act of affection and gratitude. Shion accepted the gesture but winced when Masrur's bracelet clinked against something metal. It fell from the folds of his turban and hit the floor with a dulled 'clunk'.

The carpet may have prevented the metal object from making too much noise, but to Shion, the sound was deafening.

He wanted to hit himself. How careless!

Ja'far picked up the object curiously. "What is this?"

"A lamp." Shion informed him before licking his suddenly dried lips. "Can…can I have it back?" He asked meekly. "It's special to me."

Thankfully, Ja'far didn't seem suspicious of Shion's sudden change of character. Children were prone to various emotional changes, after all. He made a move to hand the common household object to the child but paused when something caught his eye.

Mentally, Shion cursed. On the outside, he was quizzical and a little impatient. "Mister Ja'far?"

"Where did you get this?" The freckled man questioned softly. Shion decided to feign ignorance.

"I think it was at a secondhand shop. I thought it looked funny so I wanted it. My uncle bought it for me as a gift."

Ja'far glared coldly at the child and pointed at the symbol on the lamp's side. "I won't ask you again. Where did you get this?"

Masrur angled Shion from Ja'far defensively but was forced to stop when the angered man barked an order.

"Oh," Shion faked realization, "you meant my djinn."

He was in trouble now.

"_Your _djinn?" The pale-haired man said skeptically. Shion felt a little offended by the blatant show of disbelief. He huffed. "Yes! Andromalius is _my _djinn. I conquered his dungeon fair and square so I think that qualifies him as 'mine'."

Ja'far was still dubious. "How can a _child _conquer a dungeon when countless adults had been slaughtered for their attempts?"

Well, he did have a point. But Shion wanted his djinn back. He felt uneasy and a bit naked without his djinn. It was the only defense he had in his weak, small body.

"Andromalius! Come back to me!" He called out desperately.

The symbol on the lamp began to glow faintly. It jumped from Ja'far's loose grip, much to the man's surprise, and returned to its rightful master. Shion clutched at the metal object possessively.

Sin, who had remained silent throughout the whole exchange, stepped forward. "He's not lying, Ja'far. That's his djinn. See how it responded to it?"

"But Sin! It's illogical for a child that young to conquer a dungeon on his own!"

"I'm eight, almost nine." Shion corrected the freckled man. "Not that young. Though, I conquered the dungeon a bit more than four years ago. _Accidentally._" He added hastily. "Even though I was pretty young, I knew better than to try to conquer a dungeon on my own. My Uncle was clumsy (still is) so he knocked me through the dungeon doorway when he tripped."

Funny thing was, that actually happened. In both of his lives. No lie.

"_What sort of Uncle would bring his nephew to a __**dungeon entrance!?**__" _Ja'far looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. It seemed that he believed Shion now and was back to being a concerned adult.

"Mine." Shion replied simply. "He wanted me to see what it looked like so I would know not to enter it." Ironically.

Sin laughed.

"That sounds like an interesting story! Would you like to tell me about it over lunch?"

Shion's stomach growled.

"Yes please."

* * *

_Kouha,_

_ If you're reading this, I will be far away by now. Amani and Sai got caught up in some nasty business so I'm going to Balbadd to help. Please forgive me for not being able to host you for your visit. When I come back, I'll be sure to entertain you properly as a person of my (supposed) stature should._

_ Kouha, I also have a favor to ask you. It is about Amani. As you should know, her wedding is coming up in three months. I implore you to treat her well and defend her when she needs it. Kougyoku would be remaining in Balbadd and Sai…I can't trust Sai with any responsibility in all honesty. Since I would have limited abilities to contact my friend once she is wed, I have only you to depend on._

_ Once again, forgive me for my sudden departure. I will be back once the issue is fixed._

_ ~Yasmine_

_ P.S. Please feel free to use my bed if you are tired since I won't be there to use it._

Kouha sighed in disappointment. And he had been looking forward to this too.

Beside him, JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin sobbed over the extra note that she had left for them. "I never knew that she felt that way about us!" ReiRei wailed.

Curious, Kouha looked over their shoulders to see what Yasmine had written for them.

_JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin,_

_ If all of you came all the way here to visit me, I'd like to send you a thousand apologies for your troubles. I personally was very excited to hear that your master, Kouha, was bringing you over. It is not that common for people to visit me._

_ I am especially glad that you three came for I had wanted to speak with you personally. Unfortunately because of circumstances, I can only convey these words through ink and paper. _

_It is rare for me to find other lonely spirits who are seen as outcasts in their own home. For years, I had thought that I was the only one and that people like me would forever bear this scorn alone. I am glad to have met a wonderful person as Kouha who had accepted me at first sight. I am even happier to discover that he had taken many people like me under his wing._

_I had wanted to form bonds with you three (and the others) ever since our first meeting in the palace. I apologize if my abilities scared you. They tend to do that to everyone I meet (Aside from your prince, apparently). I promise that I am fully capable of controlling them in the presence of others._

_I hope, when I return, that we can play many games together as I had promised and that my lack of presence here would not prevent any chances of a good friendship._

_~ Yasmine_

"Since she was the girl who caught Prince Kouha's interest, we didn't want to scare her away with our frightful appearance." JunJun sobbed, staining the papers decorating the bandages around her eyes. "We did not know those actions would cause her to feel as if _we _were afraid of _her_!"

JinJin nodded in agreement while she sniffed.

"We will clear this misunderstanding once she returns!" ReiRei vowed, mascara running. Her two companions agreed tearfully.

Kouha blinked and then pouted at the length of their letter and compared it to his note.

Why did Yasmine make theirs longer than _his_?

* * *

Yasmine sneezed.

"Are you alright there, young lady?" The caravan driver asked kindly. Yasmine offered him a small smile for his concern.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

The caravan driver turned his attention back to the long stretch of road in front of him. "So what business does a young lady like you have in Balbadd? I have to warn you, things aren't going smoothly in that country." The man warned her.

Yasmine sighed glumly. "I know."

"We can always turn around. Or I can drop you off to the closest dock. I heard that Sindria is a nicer place. More economically stable too, I heard. I won't even make you pay for the extra mile."

"That won't be necessary, sir. But thank you for your concern."

The caravan driver frowned. "Balbadd is a dangerous place, little lady. There are thieves running amuck throughout the whole city." He insisted for the last time.

But Yasmine remained resolute.

"That's _exactly_ why I need to go to Balbadd."

* * *

Alibaba gritted his teeth in frustration. Once again, he had failed to achieve djinn equip despite the patient teaching of his sister. She assured him that it took more than a couple of days to achieve a powerful form like that.

"Instead," she told him kindly, "I will show you how to evolve your first metal vessel form."

That made him feel a little better but seeing how much his sister achieved compared to him…

Amani's touch broke Alibaba out of his reverie. "You still have hours until the next raid, you know that, right? Your concentration is improving. The only issue here is time and practice. At least your fire tornadoes are expanding its range." She joked lightly.

He was never going to get used to that.

It wasn't that he didn't like seeing his sister happy and lighthearted. Alibaba had wished all his life that Amani would get the life that she deserved. But there always seemed to be something preventing her from such a possibility. She was always stressed about something or worrying about someone.

Like him

That was why he had to get stronger. If he got stronger, he'd be able to support his sister who had been supporting him for his whole life.

"Alibaba, watch carefully." Amani's gourd glowed faintly and sand spilled out. His sister stood tall with her arms crossed. To the position of others, it seemed as if the sand had a mind of its own. It snaked around Amani's right arm. She brought her fist down upon a big rock and everyone watched in awe as it easily broke in half. "My sand's abilities are flexible. I can use it as a shield, a weapon, a trap, and even armor. Unfortunately, your fire can't be used for many purposes aside from burning your opponents while you attack."

Amani plucked her gourd from her side and focused her magoi to seep into the round object. Her sand wrapped around the metal vessel and fell away when the transformation was complete.

Alibaba sweatdropped when he recognized the hourglass ornament that had hung from his sister's weapon when she performed her djinn equip. Now, it was about the same size of the gourd.

"…Is that supposed to be a weapon?"

Amani rolled her eyes and turned the hourglass. "This amount of sand is the equivalent of forty minutes." She explained. "So, for forty minutes, Foras will retain her ability. After that, I'll be weakened and useless for four minutes after."

"What ability?" Alibaba asked warily, taking a step back from his sister.

Amani's lips quirked up and sand crawled up her hourglass once again. It morphed the ancient timer into a very familiar blade.

_His _blade.

His sister could mimic the forms of every metal vessel!

"Stern and Dignified Spirits of Etiquette, in the name of my Magoi and my will for a greater power, I order you and your members, Come Forth Amon!"

Alibaba watched in awe as his sister summoned the same wall of fire as he always had without any effort. Her eyes met his and he gulped.

"Well brother? What are you waiting for? Take our your djinn and fight yourself."

* * *

"I had to fight myself in that dungeon."

The fully clothed Sin, Ja'far, and Masrur listened carefully to Shion's tale as he chewed on a banana. The three allowed Shion to wash himself before eating because of the dusty and slightly muddy state of his skin and clothes. After he came out of the bathroom, he saw Ja'far shaking Sin and yelling at him for 'being too passive' about…something about stolen objects?

"It wasn't like the other dungeons. That's what my uncle said. Instead of killing off every single unworthy human who sets foot within the place, the dungeon tests the mind and will of the human. Only one person could enter the dungeon at a time. In a way, it was far more dangerous since some came out of the dungeon insane."

Ja'far winced in sympathy. "Your Uncle must have been worried."

"Time within the dungeon traveled faster than the outside world so my uncle only had to wait for three minutes for me to come out." Shion explained quietly. "But to me…it was a bit longer than that."

Shion plopped a grape into his mouth a chewed thoughtfully.

"Andromalius tests the mind by placing the person in real-life situations. I saw a lot of things inside dungeon. I relieved the feelings of starvation, fear, war, hatred, betrayal, loss, and depravity. Yes," he affirmed the looks of disbelief, "Andromalius wanted to make sure that his master can resist the temptation of falling to depravity. I passed." He informed them proudly.

Sin nodded. "That's a good thing. What else did you see there?"

"After undergoing emotional experiences, Andromalius placed me in seven realistic illusions to see how I would react or choose. Most of it is personal so I can't tell you. But there was one situation where I was supposed to choose between the life of my mother and the life of my uncle." He told the three with a frown. "That one was a hard one."

"Who did you choose?" Ja'far asked the boy hesitantly.

"I couldn't choose."

Shion looked down shamefully and tangled his fingers into the tablecloth.

"I hesitated because both were important to me. No matter what sort of situation I could think up of, the result would always end up the same: One would die. I almost…I almost drove myself _crazy _trying to think of a way to save them. At the end, I had to accept that _I couldn't choose_. I'm not all-powerful and there are situations I can't get out of alone. The trial tested my pride and in the end, I had to throw it away. It was a bit of a humbling experience. It was also my hardest."

(No, that was the first time. This time, he had to choose between his mother and _her_. His choice was the same but it was even more painful that he knew that he would never see _her _again. _She_ was one of his sacrifices.)

Masrur patted Shion on the head in comfort. "You did well."

"Yes, you chose well for a young child." Ja'far praised him. "Sin, what do you think?"

Sin was looking at Shion calculatingly. The look made Shion a little bit uneasy but he stood his ground and met Sin's eyes challengingly.

Then, Sin spoke up. "Shion, are you an orphan?"

Ja'far blanched at the bluntness of the question. "Sin! Be a little more sensitive."

"Ah, no. I don't think so." Shion informed the older man, not seeming to mind the question at all. "My mother is…not well but she is still alive. My uncle is doing his best to heal her. I don't really know where she is, but I know that Uncle took her to a safe place. I never really knew my father so I'm assuming that he's dead."

"I see. But you have no guardian? No home?"

"I have friends." Shion said defensively, the younger part of him taking control of his actions. The part of Shion who was king was measuring up the 'merchant', seeing how much of a threat he is to him. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

Sin held his hands up in a placating gesture.

"I don't mean any harm. I just wanted to see if you needed a place to stay. If you do, I can offer you a home in Sindria."

Something jolted painfully in Shion's chest. "Sindria?"

"Yes." Sin smiled kindly. "Sindria is a place were people without homes can go to. The country will accept you with open arms. What do you think? Would you like to become a citizen there?"

_Click_

"You're not a mere merchant." Shion realized and remembered. In the future, Aladdin had told him about meeting this man when coming over to Balbadd. "You're strong, powerful, and _important_ enough to promise me these things. You're the _King_ of Sindria, aren't you?"

Sin looked impressed.

"…Um, this is a little awkward…but…can you tell me your real name?"

Sin's expression turned blank at Shion's shy question. "Eh?"

"I forgot what the Sindrian King's name is." Shion told him bluntly before adding. "Sorry. I'm not that good with names."

_This wasn't part of the plan. This wasn't part of the plan at all._

* * *

"Can I ask a favor from the amazing Aladdin and young Shion?"

"What is it?"

"I'll hear it out first before giving you my answer."

"All of my metal vessels were stolen so I can't help anyone at the moment. Would you be willing to lend us your power to capture the 'Fog Troupe'?"

* * *

Yasmine stared up at the setting sun.

"Wait for me, guys. I'm coming."

* * *

Amani wrapped the piece of cloth around her face and took a steady breath at her reflection. It was strange how she looked exactly like her brother when her hair was covered.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

_Tobacco and Booze_

She didn't need to look up to see who it was.

"You ready, Ghost?"

She tightened the sash that kept her gourd by her side.

She was prepared for this for years.

"I'm ready."

* * *

Sai tied a piece of paper around a sparrow's leg and whispered a destination to it before letting it fly.

It was time.

He smirked and flickered his face to Cain's. This gig required all of them to act. For the most of them, it would be painful and lonely from this moment forward. They wouldn't be able to trust anyone with their true feelings aside from each other. Well, it was a good thing that Sai had acted all his life, wasn't it?

"How fun!"

* * *

_Kougyoku,_

_ Show time in two days! Prepare yourself!_

The piece of paper was crumpled into a small ball by a shaking hand.

"Not yet." A small voice begged. "Oh Solomon, please not yet."

* * *

Shion waited patiently on the rooftop. Even though he had agreed to help out, Ja'far would have none of it so the freckled advisor placed him on the roof and sternly ordered him to _stay there_.

Who was he to argue?

It gave the boy-man the time to think to himself.

Lately, he's been discovering holes in his memory. Big holes. He wasn't sure if he should be worried about that fact or not. It _was _fine, right? Amani, Kougyoku, and Sai knew _most _of what would happen. Shion only had to focus on the crucial parts and the endgame.

But…he had forgotten the Sindrian King's name.

_Sinbad_

Shion felt a thrum of acknowledgement and recognition to the sound of the name. It was important to him for some reason. But he was _sure _that he had never met the man in his future.

Perhaps he died in Shion's future? That would be a pity. He's a good man. Even if he was a bit of a weirdo and a pervert.

_Sinbad_

Where? Where? Where?

Amani would tell him if she was here. She remembered things and she wasn't mean like Sai. She wouldn't keep things from him so she would explain why that king seemed so important. He was important to fate, right?

_Sinbad_

So if he was important,

_Sinbad_

Why did Shion forget him?

As the young child's mind wandered in circles, the soldiers and Aladdin went in circles too amidst the growing fog. All of this happened under the gentle light of the not-quite-full moon.

* * *

Amani went back to the base after the raid was over.

Everything had went exactly the way as she expected it to. Though, she didn't expect to see that Aladdin didn't look much older than Shion. (He's only _ten_. A baby.) It set her maternal instincts aflame.

The blank look he wore when Alibaba passed him without a second glance was painful. She was about _this close _to scooping up the child and comforting him.

_This close_

But Amani had a role to play. Now, she was one of _them_, the notorious Fog Troupe. She was a cadre alongside Kassim, Hassan, and Zaynab. She was ruthless, silent, and mysterious.

She was the Fog Troupe's 'Ghost'.

So, she played along. She snatched a couple of moneybags, minding to leave some behind as an act of goodwill to her more wealthy citizens. Just because they were rich didn't mean they deserved to be robbed clean.

Cain greeted her with open arms and a handkerchief at hand.

He always knew what would happen and how each of them would react. But Amani didn't mind. They were the Blessed Children. And the Blessed Children always looked out for each other.

She took the small piece of cloth and nodded in thanks. Cain responded with a kind, reverent smile that always, _always _held some sort of mockery in it. But that was Sai's influence. No matter what form he took, there would always be a little bit of Sai left over.

"Did everything go well, my lady?"

"Aside from the young boy and his headless djinn? Yes."

Cain nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that our wait is finally finished. Isn't it wonderful, Princess? After all of this blows over, we can take a little break. Would Sindria sound nice to you?"

"You know I can't do that." Amani said tersely. "I have a wedding to attend."

"_Your _wedding, if I'm right to believe." Cain corrected. "But you never know. Some things could change depending on how everything ends. Perhaps you would be wed to some other man who takes power over Balbadd?"

"If you're hinting at incest, Cain, then that's disgusting."

Cain's eyes landed on something else behind Amani's shoulder.

"I wasn't talking about young master, Princess."

Amani turned her head discreetly and caught sight of the ends of dreadlocks and the trailing of a cigar smoke. Her heart sank and she hoped _very much _that he didn't overhear the conversation.

(Don't get your hopes up either, Amani.)

* * *

Shion was exhausted.

Not only did Amani not go easy on him, but the other members of the Fog Troupe labeled him as 'weak' and attacked him too.

Because of his age and small body, Shion couldn't perform djinn equip with Andromalius and no one had expected him to. The best he could do with his djinn was what Yasmine had once described to him as 'telekinesis'. (That, and he could wish for anything. But he wasn't going to let anyone know about that ability yet.)

In all honesty, he was only good at flinging multiple rocks at people and hoping he would get a lucky shot.

Not only did it prove ineffective against a huge group of people, but they also had _Amani_, which was a huge advantage in Shion's point of view. Oh _why_ did he assign her to them again? Oh right, because he thought he was going to eventually join them too.

But he made mistakes and had miscalculated. Immensely.

Shion stumbled and decided that it didn't matter if he would wake up with bruises in the morning. He was going to sleep and sleep _now_. Sinbad and his crew had already kept him up the night before. An almost-nine-year-old child could only take so much. This body needed sleep.

Large hands caught him.

_Masrur_, he first thought but the smell of the sea and wine told him otherwise.

Shion slurred, "T'anks, Mr. Sin." And was out like a light.

* * *

Yasmine couldn't have been more relieved to see Balbadd.

She thanked and properly paid the caravan driver and made her way toward the city. The beginnings of sunrise touched the tops of the buildings and outlined the palace far away.

It was a bit of a relief that the people weren't commenting on her style of clothing or her mask. It would be a bother if someone forced her to take off her mask, not to mention take away her scythe.

_You should have more faith in yourself. _Her inner voice scolded her. It sounded suspiciously like Amani's. Yasmine shook her head. She really needed to become more independent. It was just a month and she was already missing her best friend.

Yasmine heard a bit of scuffling around the corner of the street. She considered just ignoring it but her morals prevented her from just walking away. Besides, she had a huge scythe. The worst that would happen would be getting blood on her clothes.

Turned out, it wasn't children or women in trouble.

Just three shady-looking men being ganged up by a bunch of jerks

Yasmine helped them out anyways.

When she was done beating the crap out of the cowardly men who fought with absolutely no honor, she was swarmed by the uncanny trio and was showered with many thanks and praises.

It got annoying quickly.

(Who names their group SML Nando, anyways?)

Yasmine batted them off with her spear and got back to her original path. She had no time for this. Amani was probably somewhere fighting her own battles and Kougyoku was definitely having her own mental breakdown. She _was _in charge with dealing with the childish magi, after all.

And Sai…

Yasmine didn't need to worry about Sai. He could take care of himself just fine.

The princess of Sasan decided to start off by searching the whole city. It shouldn't take longer than a few hours for her to find at least _one _of her companions.

Unfortunately, the three men she saved followed her like lost puppies for the rest of the day and made her duty harder than it should be with their questions and their distractions. They scared off the people she tried to talk to and they dragged her along with their thieving escapades. Those three were very troublesome people and Yasmine wouldn't mind being rid of them.

"Hey, hey, big sister. Those apples look tasty, should we rob them?" L Nando asked hungrily. Seeing his huge size, it didn't really surprise her that he was the glutton type. She went over to the stand and gave the right amount of money for the apples with interest to the seller. With the state of this country, being stolen from would have ruined the apple seller. Yasmine couldn't stand letting that happen right in front of her. So, for once, she would treat these ruffians.

She walked over to them and handed L Nando three apples. She then proceeded to hand apples to the other brothers. "Here. If you're hungry, I'll pay. If you need a place to stay, I'll pay. But if you steal from the innocents, I'll destroy you." She warned them seriously. "These people struggle enough every day without you three around stealing their things."

When she looked up, Yasmine was surprised to see that all three brothers were _crying_. Her respect did a funny thing at that sight. While she was a bit disappointed that the men had discarded their pride to the point where they freely shed their tears without any shame, she also appreciated the sheer honesty of their actions.

"T-Thank you, big sis." L Nando said with his mouth full.

"You have a beautiful heart!" M Nando praised.

"People like you are the ones I respect!" N Nando exclaimed loudly.

Yasmine noticed the stares they were attracting and blushed in embarrassment. She restrained herself from slapping her forehead at the ridiculousness of her new companions. "…I miss being bothered by Kouha."

At least _he _only embarrassed her quietly and away from all eyes.

* * *

Fate was a funny thing.

Amani found that out when she looked down from her perch on the pile of rocks beside Alibaba. She had expected the 'SML Nando Brothers' to join the Fog Troupe, but the person who came along with them was a surprise.

After Alibaba finished his threat and allowed the strangers to join, Amani jumped from her perch and landed in front of the new recruits. Three stumbled back in fear and surprise while one, as she had expected, held their ground.

"You." Amani's voice rang out throughout the hideout. "What are you thinking coming here on your own?"

"I wasn't." The person said dryly. "I was actually forced here by these three since I became their unofficial babysitter. As you can see, I didn't want any trouble so I ended up here. Sorry." The last part was said sarcastically.

Everyone went silent.

Amani snorted and drew her best friend into a hug. "Idiot," she said affectionately, "did you miss me so much that you came all the way to Balbadd to see me, Yasmine?"

Yasmine returned the embrace. "Actually, I came here because a little birdie told me that Balbadd was crime-infested this time of year. I thought that trouble might have found you but," she looked around the hideout, "I guess youfound trouble instead."

Cain came over to the group with a joyful smile. "Lady Yasmine! A pleasure to see you in this dark, gloomy place!"

"Butt out." The masked teen told the shifter bluntly, already knowing who he was. "I am in no mood to deal with a nuisance like you."

Cain visibly deflated. "How cruel…"

"Yasmine!" Amani scolded her friend. "Don't speak to Cain like that! He already apologized for spilling tea on you" which he did on purpose "and inviting Kouha over." Which he also did on purpose and never actually apologized for. Scratch that, he probably felt no remorse for his actions and will never apologize for doing that since he and Kouha were good friends.

"Amani?" Alibaba asked unsurely from his position. "Do you know this person?"

She nodded and brought Yasmine closer. "Brother, Kassim, Hassan, Zaynab, this is my close friend, Yasmine Leoxses from Sasan. She is known there as a formidable warrior and will provide much for the Fog Troupe's cause."

Yasmine dipped her head in respect. "I will do my best to serve your cause honorably, Sir Alibaba."

Alibaba blushed. "You don't need to-

"We're happy to have you, Yasmine." Kassim interrupted with a welcoming grin. "Any friend of Ghost is a friend of ours."

* * *

"Why are you here? I thought Shion told you to stay in Sasan."

"There has been a change of plans which required our presence. Though, I can't seem to find our child leader anywhere."

"I can't find him, either."

"Bee! Jazzy-chan!"

"It's _Yasmine_."

"Yes, Sai?"

"Morgiana finally kidnapped our beloved Ali-dork. Just as planned. Who wants to follow her to get him back? I don't~!"

"I will."

* * *

Shion woke up in bed.

His first thought was: Was that all a dream?

But then he looked himself over and realized how silly that thought was since the dirt and bruises from the incident last night were still there. Shion was relieved to find Andromalius still in his arms.

His ears perked at the sound of voices. Without thinking, he hopped off of his bed and followed them to their source.

"-found out that King of Balbadd, Ahbmad Saluja, is engaged to a Princess from the Kou Empire." Ja'far was saying.

"The eighth princess." Shion corrected with a yawn as he came into the room and the conversation. "And her name is Kougyoku."

All eyes were on him.

"Shion!" Ja'far began to fret. "You shouldn't be out of bed!"

The child blinked slowly. "I wasn't?"

"You used up too much of your magoi last night." Sinbad explained patiently. "You were out for a whole day."

So that was why Shion felt so relaxed.

"I see." He yawned again. "But I'm up now and I still have a promise to fulfill. It's been about three days since my entrance to Balbadd and I still haven't met up with my friends yet like I promised." He looked out of the window to see the almost-full moon shining upon his face.

Ja'far was immediately at his side, probably making sure he wouldn't fall out of the window. Knowing himself, he probably would. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you rested for _one _more day. You're spent."

Shion whined childishly. "But my friends…"

It was then when he heard a loud 'thump' sound made from above. The rest of the residents inside the room probably heard it too.

_They're here._ A voice whispered into his ear. _They're here. Go up._

So Shion did.

What he found in his friends' room was an angry Morgiana, a saddened Aladdin, and a stiff Alibaba. He cleared his throat awkwardly to gain their attention.

"Shion! You're awake!" Aladdin proclaimed happily. Shion offered the blue-haired magi a smile. "Yeah. And I wanted to see you guys. But," his eyes landed on Alibaba, "I didn't expect an extra to be in this room. Should I go and get somebody?"

"No, no!" Aladdin shook his head fiercely. "He's a friend!"

Alibaba tried to look as innocent as possible.

_Alibaba, Representative of the Republic of Balbadd, mentor and friend, burned to death with his country_

"Really?" Shion asked 'suspiciously'. "He didn't look it last night when he pointed his metal vessel at you. That looks more like an enemy to me."

"Alibaba has his reasons. Right, Alibaba?" Aladdin looked hopefully at his friend.

Shion watched as Alibaba's expression looked conflicted about something. Finally, he made up his mind and turned to Aladdin, ignoring both Morgiana and him.

"Aladdin, can you listen to me about a friend of mine? His name is Kassim."

* * *

When Amani finally reached the hotel where Alibaba was taken to, it was already terribly destroyed by the recent battle. Sai had told her to enter around the end so she wouldn't have to use her powers to defend the Fog Troupe. That would have placed Sinbad at a disadvantage since he had no metal vessels.

Their plan required Sinbad's victory so he could offer his strength to the Fog Troupe. Amani had to time her entrance to happen _after _most of those events. Aside from that, Amani's entrance to the scene would have to be completely random.

She came just when Kassim opened his big, fat mouth.

"All you royalty and superior people are just bastards that trample on inferior people to survive! You're actually just eager for us filthy, poor, inferior people to die from starvation and rot, right? You just want to live your lives in luxury!"

There was a sound of a sharp object hitting concrete. "Shut up." She heard another voice say darkly. "You have _no idea_ what Sin had to go through all this time. How much he had to sacrifice for others…"

Amani acted quickly.

Before Ja'far could even come close to Kassim, Amani launched a handful of her kunai knives and threw them at the advisor's feet to stop him from his tracks. Using the wire strings attached to her weapons, she pulled herself right in front of the advisor and deflected his knife from hitting her.

"_Oh, and Bee, remember…"_

Then, she dropped all weapons and bowed lowly in front of him, shocking everyone on the roof. "Please! Forgive Kassim, I beg of you!"

"…_Don't make Sinbad or his Generals your enemy. We need them to be friendly with us for the future part of our plan to work."_

"Because of the hardships he and the others went through, he has become wary of all nobles and royals. Please understand this! I will accept any punishment on his stead for his offensive words and I am willing to take the brunt of the remaining anger you have towards him. As his friend and sister, this is my responsibility!"

It was a bit embarrassing to do this in public with so many people knowing who she really was. It was worse when she knew that Cain (_Sai_) and Yasmine were watching this. Her years in the palace instilled a sort of pride that shook in indignation at her position. But she crushed it and endured all the stares.

"G-Ghost! Stop it!" She heard Kassim demand desperately.

Thankfully, Ja'far made no move to kick her or stab her. "Please, Miss. That would not be necessary!" Amani felt herself being helped up by lithe hands. She finally sneaked a look at the advisor's expression and almost flinched in surprise.

Ja'far looked flustered and embarrassed. "I apologize for my impulsive actions!"

But that wasn't what caused her shock.

_Fatima?_

Amani bowed again while standing so she could hide her expression. _No, Fatima is dead and he's a man. Sinbad's advisor, remember?_

"Miss!" Ja'far cried out, scandalized. "I told you that there's no need for that, Miss! He's forgiven!"

Amani looked up and smiled. "Thank you for understanding."

She then rounded over to the restrained Kassim and knelt down in front of Kassim and checked him over for any serious wounds. "He didn't cut your anywhere, aside from your cheek, did he?"

"…No." He grunted angrily. "Stupid royals-

Amani slapped him.

Everyone, including Kassim, was shocked by her abrupt actions.

"There you go again. Don't you ever learn? Talking like that in front of the 'royals' themselves would get you _killed_. Didn't you see his face? His speed? He skill? Didn't you feel his _killing intent_?" Amani's voice rose. "I will not accept that an important person of mine would be so _careless _with his own life! Just because some idiots say that your life is worth nothing, does not mean it is true! Your life is a priceless thing!"

By now, everyone was listening to her words.

"If you put yourself in any life-risking situation again, I will beat you senseless, Kassim. Don't think I won't. _Is that clear?_"

(If you continue thinking like that, you'd surely die.)

Kassim stared at her with a strange look in his eyes. "…Yes."

"Good." She placed a soothing hand on the cheek she just slapped. "Don't scare me like that again."

Amani stood and came over to Alibaba's side. She tugged the cloth wrappings off of her face since there was no point in hiding it anymore. There was a loud squeal and Amani felt her side being tackled by a small body mass. " 'Mani!"

"Shion?" She looked down to the child who was missing the whole time. "Was this where you were?"

"Shion, who is she?" Amani heard Aladdin ask from the sidelines.

Shion looked at her proudly before presenting her to everyone on the roof. "Isn't it obvious by just looking at her face? She is Alibaba's twin sister and Imperial Princess of Balbadd."

"She is Amani!"

* * *

Kougyoku glanced at the mirror the thousandth time.

She schooled her features to appear cold and disinterested, as the manga had portrayed her as when she first entered the storyline. The makeup that she added on intensified her features.

"How scary. Planning to scare your fiancé away, Princess?"

She smirked. Instead of the soft uplifting curve of her lips, Kougyoku managed to make it seem coldly terrifying. She thought that she made it look natural. Judal seemed to agree by the pleased expression on his face. He strutted over to her and lifted her chin so her eyes would meet his. "My, my, what a warrior. Are you trying to scare me? How cute. You're going to have to try harder than that, Princess." He tutted.

"Nothing scares you." Kougyoku stated as if it were a fact. (It probably was, knowing him.)

Unlike her. She was scared. She was _always _scared. She may bark and bite all she wanted but she was always placed in a situation where something was stronger than her. At least now she had to power to deflect the hits that her enemies gave her and give it back tenfold.

With that comforting thought, she turned her eyes toward the window where the sun was setting and prepared her mind for the words she had rehearsed for years. The reason why she made herself look like this, like a warrior, like a strong woman, wasn't for her fiancé (_of course_ it wasn't for that pig). It was for Judal.

No, not like that. He may be a good friend to her (sometimes), but Kougyoku had no plans in seducing the childish prat. She had no interest in having _that _sort of relationship at the moment.

(At the moment. That doesn't mean never.)

It was for this crucial moment. Though the plan wasn't _entirely _dependent on Judal's choices, it would make saving the world so much easier if it worked. If Sai was correct in his assumption, this would work and things would go smoothly. If Kougyoku was correct in her assumption, this could completely backfire, putting them back to square one where lives would be risked and taken.

"So Princess, what do you want to do today? Feeling like bothering the hotel staff?"

Kougyoku took a breath. Sai better be right.

_(It's show time!)_

"Judal," she said tersely, "in two days time, I will meet my fiancé."

"I know that." Judal muttered sourly. He glared daggers at an imaginative opponent on the spot on the floor in front of him. Kougyoku liked to think that it was her _darling _husband to be he was killing with his eyes. "_Everyone _knows that."

"He might not allow me to return to Kou."

There. She said it. She had planted the seed.

Now how will he react?

"…What are you talking about, Princess?" Kougyoku blinked in genuine surprise at the subdued voice that he used. No, not subdued. Restrained. Angry, but restrained. At the corner of her eye, she noticed that his knuckles were turning white from the grip he had on his wand. "The pig king will let you visit whenever you want to." No hesitation there. "He _will_ let you visit me."

…Doubt? Was that _doubt_ that Kougyoku saw flicker across Judal's eyes?

No. Judal was unshakable. He was narrow-minded and stubborn. Doubt shouldn't even be possible for this person.

Yet here he was, doubting. (Doubting what? Doubting who?)

Kougyoku hid her shaking hands in her sleeves. She risked cultivating his doubt while it was still there. "He won't." She said confidently before meeting Judal's crimson stare. "Because no husband would want his wife visiting other men." She looked at Judal pointedly. Inside, she was wondering if he would actually believe her reason. Most of the men in the household were her brothers so Ahbmad wouldn't care too much if she left the palace to visit.

But did Judal know that?

And like that, the dark magi's face was tense and agitated. He began pacing back and forth across her room. From time to time, he would freeze something random like a vase or a pillow. All the while, Kougyoku forced herself from gaping.

He…he reacted the way Sai had hoped he would. Sai was _right_.

"He can't." Judal muttered under his breath. "He can't. He can't. He can't He can't He _can't_ _Hecan'tHecan'tHe__**can't**_!" With a bellow he shot a large piece of ice at her drawer. She winced at the sickening sound of cracking wood and the shredding of her clothes. "_I _am the Oracle of Kou! _I _am a Magi! That brat king can't do _shit _about your comings and goings since _I _say you can!"

Kougyoku watched with horrified interest as Judal came up to her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He gripped her cheekbones with his lithe fingers with bruising strength and _looked at her_ with a possessive glint in his eyes. "She's _mine_." He said darkly to no one in particular.

Before Kougyoku could retort to that claim, Judal left the room as quickly and silently as he first came.

He didn't leave to kill her fiancé, did he?

"Ah, crap."

Kougyoku _really _hoped that Ahbmad wouldn't die because of her actions, no matter how much she wished for that pig's demise.

(Or was that what Sai's original intentions were?)

* * *

Amani found that Sinbad was a likeable man.

Immediately after Shion's proclamation, he took interest in her along with her twin. She was sure that he knew about her metal vessel but took no initiative to reveal it to the man. If he wanted to know, he had to ask her properly.

She might have found him likeable, but she thought that he wasn't a man without ulterior motives. No King ever was.

When King Sinbad offered to allow the twins an audience with their eldest sibling, Amani accepted without hesitation. This was something that she knew would be advantageous for the whole of Balbadd. That, and she didn't want to waste her time with Alibaba's hesitation.

By morning, Amani accompanied Alibaba and Sinbad to the palace as the visiting Imperial Princess. She hoped that Ahbmad would at least _listen _to her words when she spoke to him.

* * *

_Of course_, Ahbmad wouldn't listen to her!

"I never recognized both of you, orphans from the slums, as my siblings! Do not forget, if it weren't for the protection from the King of Sindria, both of you would have lost your heads!" Ahbmad sneered.

Amani twitched and forced a smile on her face.

"Oh? Brother Ahbmad, since we're on the subject of beheading, should I remind you of the assassins the servants found _right in front of your room_?" Amani asked sweetly. Alibaba sent her a confused expression while Sinbad looked at her warily. She ignored both of them. "Remember how _cleanly _their necks were snapped? How _close _they were in reaching for your door? Their deaths must have been _swift_, don't you think, my king?"

Ahbmad shifted uneasily on his throne. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Amani pressed her neck closer to the blade that the soldiers were using to bar her away from the king. To the alarm of the soldiers, a thin line of blood appeared on her neck. "The only reason you are sitting on that throne is because of Alibaba. The only reason why your little heart beats is because of Alibaba. The only reason why you are allowed to do these atrocious things to this country _is because of Alibaba. _If you think that you can ignore this kind act from your _younger brother_, then maybe you should give back everything he gave you."

(Starting with that little, shriveled up heart of his_._)

Ahbmad had the nerve to look _tired._ "Fall back for now, slum rat. I don't feel well…It's all because of those maggots from outside the palace."

"DON'T SCREW AROUND!" Alibaba finally shouted. "As someone who describes his own citizen like that! You have no right to be King! Absolutely NONE!"

Amani's eyes remained fixated at that fat, _breakable _neck. (Snap, snap, then it'll be all over. Such a quick, easy thing to do.) "I second that." She stated serenely. From the corner of her eye, the guard at her right nodded discreetly in agreement.

Before she could make a move, she felt a large hand clamp over her shoulder. She turned to see Sinbad shake his head. Amani paused to consider follow the Sindrian King's silent order before standing down. The older man relaxed but kept his hand on her shoulder. (Just in case, just in case)

Then, with a start, Amani realized just what she was considering to do.

Did wanting to kill Ahbmad make her a bad person?

Amani ran it though her head and concluded that _yes, it was a very bad thing to consider and almost act upon._ But did she regret it? Did she feel guilty?

No. Not at all

Ahbmad had rejected them as his kin. To an assassin, killing their own kin was their first step in becoming the _best_. It meant no connections, no limits. To Amani, she needed those connections and limits. She depended on them to keep her from becoming a killer without qualms. Her surviving family was a solid proof that she had morals.

By rejecting her and Alibaba, Ahbmad had just removed himself from Amani's circle of morals and became an annoying _thing _in the way of her brother achieving the throne.

"Ah, out of the way! You're blocking my entrance!"

Amani's head jerked up at the familiar voice. So he was here?

Judal, in his dark glory, strode into the throne room as if he owned the goddamn place. And knowing him, he probably believed it, too.

Sinbad's eyes widened in recognition at the sight of Kou's Magi. "Judal?"

Judal brushed the Sindrian King off this time around. It went completely against what Amani had expected him to do so she made a sound of surprise. At the sound of her voice, the dark magi acknowledged her with a disdainful sniff. "Old hag." He greeted her rudely. "What are you doing here? I thought you told the Pig King that you were going to Sindria."

Oh right. _That _excuse.

At least she had an alibi right beside her.

"Well, King Sinbad was kind enough to bring me back to my birthplace when the opportunity arose." She lied smoothly. "I am helping him with the negotiations concerning the trade between Sindria and Balbadd." The lie was Sai-worthy so she gave herself a mental pat in the back.

Judal believed her. Or just didn't care.

"I see. How is Kougyoku? Is she well?" Amani dared to ask.

Judal's frown became a snarl when he seemed to remember something. He whirled around to Ahbmad and looked as if he wanted to freeze the king to death. "That reminds me. Oi! King! Cancel your engagement with the Princess of Kou! The Magi of Kou demands it!"

…_What?_

It seemed that the same thought ran through everyone's minds.

"Judal…let's not be too hasty now…" The Banker, who had entered into the throne room not long after Judal did, warned. "Whatever misunderstanding crossed that mind of yours can be fixed."

Judal's rage seemed to waver at the Banker's suggestion before coming back in full fire. "That _pig _can't prevent me from seeing or taking what is _mine_! He either cancels the wedding or I-"

Amani pushed the guards restraining her away and walked up to the tantrum-throwing magi. For once in her whole existence in this world, she finally, _finally_ found hope in changing _something_. The fact that Judal wasn't acting as the script intended him to gave her hope in changing Kassim's fate. _He didn't have to die_.

So this was why had Sai told her to 'pass a certain message to a friend'. He planned this somehow. Amani sent a mental thanks to her trickster friend as she stepped beside him. He sent her a cursory glance as if _daring _her to stop him.

She didn't. Instead, she leaned over to his ear and whispered something.

Judal abruptly stopped and stepped back. Everyone in the room appeared relieved at Amani's intervention. The Banker, despite his allegiance to Al Thamen, thanked her with a small nod. As if Judal just noticed that there was another important inhabitant in the room, he grinned at the sight of the Sindrian King.

"Well, isn't it the Stupid King! Long time no see!"

Amani didn't care that the rest of the events that followed went to the script. She didn't care that Alibaba failed to speak to Ahbmad. She didn't even care that Judal was laughing as they were forced out.

They had a _chance_.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

"What is your connection with Judal?"

Amani knew Sinbad was going to question her alliances the moment Judal came into the picture. It was a good thing that she was truly in the 'good side'. "If you're wondering if I'm in league with the Al Thamen, the answer is no." She informed him bluntly. "I'm surprised that you are unaware of my engagement."

"Engagement?" Sinbad questioned.

Amani nodded. "I am engaged to a prince in the Kou Empire. Because of that, I spent four years living with my future family as preparation for the wedding. I met Judal there. Since you seem to know his character, you should know that he doesn't really like me. He just…tolerates me. Sometimes."

Sinbad accepted the explanation.

"What did you tell him to calm him down?"

Amani tapped her lips and smiled.

"Secret."

* * *

The Four Blessed Children remained away from each other yet very close like chess pieces surrounding the enemies' king on the board.

Under the full moon, they reunited within the nest of the Fog Troupe with only the gentle, pale beams as their witness. It was almost time when Alibaba would come down with Sinbad to share the news to the rest of the Fog Troupe. It was almost time when Judal would come to the hideout and wreak havoc (or maybe not). All of them waited for that time to come.

Amani, who would rejoin her brother's side

Yasmine, who would remain vigilant for Kassim's return since he had disappeared

Kougyoku, who would go fetch Koubun so she would save Judal at the right time

Sai, who would be himself planning and fixing as he went

They were the Blessed Children.

They were the ones who dared to defy fate.

Shion stood with them. In the center of their circle. It was only right if their leader stood with them. _Amongst_ them. With his slightly tanned skin and blue, blue eyes and a smile that was aimed at both everyone and no one, he stood at the center.

"Let's change fate."

He took off his turban and finally, _finally, _allowed his braided hair fall out for the first time in a long time. And with it, revealed a secret that even _he _had forgotten.

"Never let them see your hair," his uncle had told him. "Or they'll kill you."

Now he knew why.

_Off goes the signal._

* * *

And finally, the real fun starts...

...but the chapter has ended!

Guess you better wait for the next chapter then! But honestly, this chapter was pretty long. I think my poor hands need a little break.

The Blessed Children plus Shion are back together again! Well, sort of. Kougyoku will be a little distant from them because of her position in the plot line of this arc.

As you can see, the next chapter will focus on Shion. (What's the deal with his hair?) Person who guesses right first gets to decide the focus character/pairing of my first omake! (Yes, I make those too.) Can't wait! Can't wait!

Bye for now!

Oh, and **REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 7: His Name is Shion

Yo people! Glad to be back!

Finals are almost over so I guess I can take a breather on school life. (Whew!) Done until next year! For now, I'm counting the days until the last day of school. After school is done, I won't have any homework or studying to get into my way. I'll have a lot of time to invest on this story then! Can't wait for vacation! Summer! Summer! Summer! And ICE CREAM! :3

But! I have great news for you all!

I got my first hater/flamer/whatever-you-call-it-er! Whoopee!

-.-

And now, I feel like I should defend myself and my honor as a writer. (Is this how one would normally feel after getting a review like this?)

_An answer to the reviewer on Amani:_

I get that you're disgusted by what Kassim did (anyone would) but I don't think I ever hinted at making Amani end up with Kassim. (Actually, the whole romantic interest is pretty one-sided.) The whole point of this arc is her struggling with forgiveness and reconciliation while trying to change fate. Not...hooking her up with Kassim after four years of not seeing each other after leaving each other on a _very_ sour note. Now **that **would be a poor choice in my part in the romance area. And need I remind you that she's already **engaged to a Kou Prince?** If I didn't make that clear in the story then sorry. All my other readers seemed to get it so I assumed. Sorry.

Amani's seemingly "okay attitude" is her own way of coping. She already talked everything out with Kassim in the beginning and she mentally prepared herself for their meeting for the following four years because of her foresight. She chose to _save_ and _forgive_ him. I apologize for not making that clear but **Amani is not okay**. I think she will never be okay but it's a huge part of her character development and a sharp contrast to her younger self who was reluctant in changing anything in the storyline. She will move on from the incident but she will never forget it.

This arc as Amani's way of facing her "Ghosts", so to speak.

_And about the whole Magi culture thing:_

I am very aware that the author had intended Balbadd to be based on Saida, Lebanon but my take on Balbadd was _Bagdad__. _Not that I disagree with the author herself (since she was the one who wrote and drew the whole manga), but it's something that _I _thought up of from the top of my head upon reading about Balbadd for the first time. Both are trading cities that practically connect the trade in the Ancient World and they both sound the same.

I just assumed that Bagdad would be a better assumption for Amani to make at the moment since Saida, Lebanon seems a bit too obscure for her to come up with from the top of her head.

Phoebe may be a genius, but she had a life too so she wouldn't have memorized every single city in the whole world. Nor would she have made a connection to Balbadd with a city like Saida.

...

Okay. Done ranting now.

Now! Back to my other readers! I have to say that the guesses about Shion's hair are pretty creative! Some even I haven't thought of!

But! The truth is now revealed in the chapter below! Enjoy!

* * *

**Children of Solomon**

Chapter 7: His Name is Shion

* * *

Who was Shion exactly?

It was a question that had never crossed the minds of the Blessed Children. Even Amani had simply accepted that he was just a 'King from the Dying Future' and 'Ranya's Child'. There wasn't a moment where any of them wondered or questioned what part he played in _Magi_. Not once was he mentioned in the pages of the story or seen in the sidelines.

Who was Shion?

A remnant of the dark future?

A King?

He was neither now. The future that was did not exist. Not anymore. Now, he was simply reduced to what he was in the beginning: a child. Yet Yunan had hidden him away from the world both the last time and this time around too.

Why? What didn't change? He was just a kid, wasn't he?

"_Never let them see your hair. Or they will kill you."_

"That fate, I will change it. So for this time around, I will disobey your wish, Uncle!"

* * *

Amani sat by Alibaba's side and he sat by hers.

Sun. Moon.

It was exactly how it was supposed to be. Amani wondered if her brother still remembered their mother's voice and her soft caresses. He might have not known it, but he was the favorite child out of the two.

Amani supposed that was her own fault. She had acted like an adult way too soon. Anise (mother), as much as she loved both of her children, was the sort who loved taking care of people. Amani accepted that it was a trait that she had inherited.

"How am I supposed to tell them, Amani? They're waiting outside for my answer. How can I tell them that I failed?" Alibaba groaned into his hands. Amani rubbed her brother's back soothingly. "Hey…I'm here. I'll always be here. I was with you when we faced Ahbmad. I will be with you when we break the news."

"What happened that night?"

Amani's rubbing stopped. Then, it started again.

"What night?" She asked, sounding genuinely curious and confused. Alibaba frowned at her lie. He looked up and caught her eyes, the eyes that they shared. Amani hoped that he didn't see the truth in them.

"…Amani. I'm talking about the night I messed up and ran away. I was a coward, leaving you behind like that. The least I could have done was bring you with me so I could look after you, but I was too scared to." He told her with a small shake in his voice. "I know I have no right to be concerned now after all these years running away, but I want to be a better brother. Cain made me realize that."

Sai did?

"So please," Amani found her hands (shaking, shaking) in Alibaba's, "Please explain! Please tell me! I don't want to have these secrets between us anymore! I want to be close to you again!"

At every sentence, Amani's heart thudded painfully. She clenched at her chest.

_Alibaba doesn't know._

"Alibaba…it's not easy to talk about. You don't know how…how relieved I was that you didn't hear. Please…" She begged him weakly, "don't force me to tell you. It's not something I want to even _think _about. I want to forget it. So much. Telling you would ruin everything. Leave it be."

"Sis-

The door opened to reveal Ja'far and Masrur with Shion between them. "Please come with me." Ja'far requested calmly. "Sin said that we're going to announce the outcome of today's negotiation to the members of the Fog Troupe."

Their timing couldn't have been more perfect.

As they exited the room, Shion bounded into Amani's arms and wrapped his arms around her. "You alright?" He whispered in concern. The white-haired teen found it quite ironic that she had to be comforted by a child. "No. But I'm not the only one in this world with problems. What about you?"

It had been agreed by the group that Shion's signal would be the removal of his turban. What they saw underneath the cloth was something that they all didn't expect. After that, all of them agreed that Shion should keep his hair hidden a while longer. Amani knew that the discovery was quite disconcerting for the child.

He had confided to her months ago about his memory lapses. He had forgotten small details like his favorite food and his hair color. It didn't help much that Yunan had forced him to wear the turban since he was able to crawl close to a mirror.

"_They'll kill you_." Yunan had told him and Amani found how true the statement was just hours ago.

Shion squeezed Amani's hand comfortingly, looking wise beyond his years (though that wasn't saying much seeing how old he really was). "I'll be fine. I knew this. I just forgot." He said the last part bitterly.

"Tell me." Amani said. "And I will remember it for you."

Shion kissed Amani on the cheek affectionately. "I knew you were my favorite Blessed Child for a reason. But please take care of your own problems before taking on others. The stress will kill you."

With that, Shion jumped out of her arms and took her hand, leading her to where would be the next phase of their little plan.

Shion may not know it, but Amani was willing to follow him anywhere.

Where he led her to didn't matter.

* * *

Yasmine offered her friend a small smile as Amani climbed next to her brother and Sinbad. Ja'far kindly helped the Princess of Balbadd up the steps. Poor man was probably still guilty for making her prostrate herself in front of him, more so now that he knew she was royalty.

Yasmine's far-seeing eyes flitted throughout the whole room. She ignored the events happening around her since Sai had already filled her in. Kassim was nowhere to be found.

She frowned.

Kassim, how to explain that man's character? He wasn't too bad if you were useful enough. He had a sort of roughish charisma that attracted many of the slum people to him. Yasmine found herself in admiration of his leadership abilities.

Yet…

There was something wrong with Kassim, something dark and twisted underneath his glamor and charm. It usually raises its ugly head when he was around Alibaba.

It did that when Amani was around too, but different. Very different.

After a while observing the true leader of the Fog Troupe, Yasmine realized that _Kassim hated himself_. For some reason, Amani served as an everyday reminder of something that he had done. She didn't need Kougyoku's eyes to see this.

When she was absolutely sure that Kassim would not be attending this meeting, Yasmine's eyes slid back to the front and focused on Sinbad's confident form.

Many times, she had heard her grandfather praise this king.

She could see why.

Confident, just, kind, Sinbad was the perfect king. Even Yasmine was tempted to follow him. He had the ultimate aura that could draw in any soul to his dreams and cause. Yasmine kept her distance. Sai had warned her that Sinbad, though a good man, wasn't the best ruler to be tangled with. He mentioned that it involved his irresistible charm and 'brightness'. "He'll suck you into his ideals," Sai had warned her, "and you will lose yourself."

Her eyes flitted over to Alibaba, who was standing beside Sai, watching and listening to Sinbad's speech, hanging onto every world with eyes filled with admiration.

Yasmine filed that image into her mind. She may not have a great memory as Amani's, but she could still memorize things if she wished to. She kept it as a reminder of what she never wanted to become: a follower. She would never look upon this Sinbad like Alibaba was. She promised herself that.

Unlike her male clone, Amani watched Sinbad's speech with a detachment that could have been considered rude if it wasn't for the obvious conflict within her eyes. Though Yasmine had been put in charge of looking for Kassim, Amani had taken the liberty to scan the whole room for the unofficial leader.

Shion also looked disenchanted. But he was a king from the future he came from so he probably used some of these inspirational speeches himself, which was understandable.

"Isn't he amazing?" A Fog Troupe member beside her asked in awe.

Yasmine grimaced. "Very." She commented dryly. "I wouldn't be surprised if he dominated the whole world by just talking."

Sinbad may be an amazing person, but the only "King" she would ever accept would be Shion and Shion only.

She owed him at least that much, after all

Since he simultaneously brought Amani into her life while driving Phoebe's ghost away from her mind.

* * *

"Ah-ha! So _that's _where the stupid king ran off to!"

Sai watched with anticipation as Judal came into the scene. Though he still wore Cain's face, he didn't hold back on the maniacal smile that spread across his lips as the scene that he had memorized by heart played out in front of him.

He watched as Judal taunted Sinbad, threatened the whole country with war, and flaunted his position of Magi in front of the Sindrian King. He watched as he caught sight of Aladdin and the rukh that were acting strangely around him.

(He watched, He watched, waiting, waiting, but enjoying, enjoying)

Sai whistled as Judal threw a fit when Sinbad informed him of Aladdin's identity. "Wait until he finds out about Shion." He muttered in amusement. He was a little disappointed that the dark magi hadn't noticed his presence yet. Either he was too immersed with the Sindrian King and the 'chibi' in front of him, or Kougyoku's performance that morning went a little _too _well. Usually, Judal would recognize him immediately, no matter what form he was in.

Though these actions weren't because Judal and he were close. Oh _no_. Judal despised Sai to the core because of his familiarity with Kougyoku and frequently hunted him down for a chance to maim or kill him.

Too bad Sai was just too good at hiding. And fighting.

"Hello Chibi! I'm Judal and you are?"

Sai saw Amani wince at the sentence. She knew what was coming because of her experience reading _Magi_, but Yasmine was up for a big surprise…

"I…I'm Aladdin."

"So you're Aladdin. As fellow Magi, let's get along from now on!"

Lies

Even if Sai hadn't known Judal's folly all along, he would have _smelled_ the lie miles away. He was the master of all lies, after all.

Everyone winced when Judal punched Aladdin, a nasty move in his part. Even Sai, who found amusement in almost all serious situations, looked upon Judal's childish actions with a thin sheen of disgust. Alibaba and Morgiana rushed over to the young magi's side in worry while Judal appeared unrepentant at all.

"JUDAL!"

Everyone turned to see a pissed off Shion storming over to the black magi. Judal looked _very _amused that a little kid less than _half _his size was trying to pick a fight with him. Compared to his power, a little kid like Shion wouldn't even stand a chance. Judging by Ja'far and Sinbad's horrified faces, they thought the same too.

(How unexpected.)

Shion stopped in front of Judal and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You did a very mean thing to my friend, Aladdin. I want you to apologize."

Judal smirked and opened his mouth.

"Apologize or I'll tell Kougyoku on you." Shion finished his threat with a cheeky smile. "And I'll tell her all the other mean things you did behind your back!"

Silence descended upon the whole stadium at his threat.

"Holy shit, this is even better than the anime." Sai gasped in English. Though he was looking forward to seeing the match between the two magi, seeing his small, bossy leader face off with the biggest prick ever known in the universe was by far the most amusing thing he ever witnessed.

"Shut up." He heard Yasmine hiss from his side but he ignored her.

By now, the smirk on the dark magi's face was wiped right off and was now replaced by a scowl. He sneered at the child in front of him. "What makes you believe that she'd believe you, a brat, over _my _word?"

" 'Cause you lie a lot." Shion told him bluntly. "And I know her personally. She likes me since I'm little and cute. You're un-cute and a jerk. It's not that much of a competition."

Sai snickered. Oh, as much as Shion annoyed him with his orders, he couldn't deny that the kid had guts. This was one of the many moments when Sai acknowledged that this child was _his_ king.

"Apologize to Aladdin, Judal." Shion repeated to the magi with a more forceful tone.

Judal pointed his wand at Shion's forehead. "Annoying kid. I'll just kill-"

"Enough."

Amani appeared out of nowhere and grasped Judal's arm tightly. Knowing her, she was probably there ever since Shion came up to Judal. The Oracle shot her a scathing look. _"Old Hag._ Figures that you'd know this brat._"_

"If you weren't so forgetful, you'd remember seeing him with Sai or Yasmine." Amani informed him dryly. "Shion isn't a stranger, Judal. He even introduced himself to you a couple of times. Did you forget him?"

_Again?_

It went unsaid but the implication was obvious.

"Shion is a treasured friend to all of us. It would do ill for you if Kougyoku hears about your misdeeds through his mouth." Amani continued while holding Judal's hateful gaze. "It would be wise to apologize to the little magi. It's only mature to do so, no?"

"As if." Judal snorted while shaking her grip off of his arm. "I refuse to accept that a slow and weak chibi like him is a magi. Oi Sinbad, don't tell me that you've decided to abandon me to work with this guy."

Sinbad denied this. Though, Sai had to wonder if that King had really intended to recruit Aladdin in the future. He probably was, knowing the true manipulative nature of the King.

Judal turned back to the recovering Aladdin, "Hey Chibi, if you really are a Magi, you should have a candidate to be king by your side, right? There should be at least one or two. Come on Chibi, call out your candidates!"

Aladdin remained silent, much to Sai's amusement. What a cute little main character Aladdin was! It was almost ridiculous that an ignorant child was supposed to

"Whatever~ I'll just find him myself!"

Judal's eyes dilated and then refocused into the direction of the crowd. They scoured the people before landing on a certain Saluja. "I found you!" He crowed gleefully as his gaze centered on the blonde. Sai saw Amani's form stiffen at the Black Magi's interest in her brother.

Sai's stance became offensive as he readied himself to attack at any sudden movement from the sadistic bad guy.

Personally, Sai wouldn't care if the Magi ripped the pathetic prince apart and spread his remains around the whole world. But he had no choice _but_ to care. The loss of Alibaba's life would not only impact the storyline negatively, but it would also make Amani sad.

And that would be _unforgivable_.

"Hey, I remember you! Weren't you that poor sod that Ahbmad bullied? Really, you're such a useless guy!" Not that Sai disagreed with _that _statement. He swallowed his own taunting smirk and froze his features into a disapproving glare, which mirrored the expressions on his companions' faces.

Shion, despite Ja'far's harsh whispers to 'stay back and away from Judal', boldly ran up to the barefoot magi and stomped on his foot with the courage and strength of a man who experienced way too many life-risking situations. "_That _was for Alibaba." Shion informed him calmly. "He may seem like nothing much at first glance. Not many people do. But during the duration of time I knew him, he has shown me loyalty for his friends, a sense of responsibility for his mistakes, willingness to take the first chance to fix his mistakes, and bravery for his continuous attempts to face his fears for the sake of others!"

For a moment, Sai could _see_ the wise, powerful king Shion used to be. He whistled lowly under his breath and dipped his head as an act of acknowledgement to his "leader". Who knew Shion was so good at public speaking?

"I believe that Alibaba is more than worthy to be Aladdin's King Candidate." Shion proclaimed in a louder voice. "I also believe that Aladdin is a far better Magi than _you_. I firmly believe this!"

Judal, for what it was worth, did not cry out in pain from the surprise attack. The Magi was too prideful to openly express such a vulnerable sound. But, his face did twist a little for a moment, which was a lot coming from Judal.

He glared daggers at the turbaned child for his physical and barrage of verbal attacks but paused his retaliation when his eyes caught sight of something.

"Oi…Chibi, don't tell me that this _brat _is your other King Candidate!"

* * *

Shion was flabbergasted.

_Him?_ Aladdin already chose…even though he was just a kid…

The child who was really a man couldn't help but smile at the warm feeling in his chest. Aladdin had chosen _him_, Shion, the boy who he just recently met, as his King's Candidate. He had regarded the younger (yet older, much older) boy as an equal to his precious friend, Alibaba.

"Me?" Shion couldn't help but say. "How?"

(You know why. You know how. Stop lying! Stop acting so modest! When are you actually going to act like the king you really are?)

"That's _my_ question!" Judal said rudely. "_You're _just a commoner's brat! No Royal Blood! No Kingdom! No Talent! No Experience! What's so important about you, kid? What makes you qualified to be _considered _a King's Candidate?"

"…I have a Metal Vessel?" Shion suggested sheepishly while lifting his lamp.

Silence greeted him. Shion could literally hear the crickets chirping in the background. (Or was it the cicadas since they were in Balbadd?)

"I mean, it's a start, right? I have a lot of time to train and improve so I'm not really in that much of a hurry. Who knows? I might become really strong if I try hard enough. I can't really do much about my parents and my blood. And about the Kingdom…um, I'll make one myself when I'm old enough? I'm still brainstorming about this since I was just told I had the potential to be king about five minutes ago."

When he heard a sound of someone snickering in the background, Shion made note to put Sai on dishwashing duty after all of this was over.

Judal's eyes narrowed and came forward.

"You…are pretty interesting." He said unexpectedly, much to Shion's surprise. "You're still annoying, chibi-er chibi, but you have a point. You do have some potential. How old are you? Six? Seven?"

"Eight." Shion corrected with a deadpan expression.

"Right! And you managed to capture a whole dungeon at such a young age! Did you have help?"

Shion looked at Judal skeptically. "…No."

"Even more interesting." Judal stated with a nod. "And you're still young enough to be impressionable. Tell me, brat. What is your goal in life?"

_To not die?_ Shion thought sarcastically but he refused to answer the foul-mouthed Magi. Instead, he opted to give Judal his 'are-you-seriously-asking-a-kid-my-age-something-as-deep-as-that' look.

"Ha! See? A blank slate filled with possibilities!" The dark magi said gleefully. Shion looked at him warily but resisted the temptation to take a step away from the teenager. Looking weak in front of Judal was not a wise move to take. "Hey, chibi-er chibi…"

"What about ditching that Chibi and becoming _my _king candidate instead?"

* * *

Shion had his mother's smile.

Amani would never tell him, but it was the part of him that she liked the least.

Ranya was an amazing woman. Amani found that she respected a person like the free-spirited dungeon captor. But…there was something about her that was off. Amani didn't realize it then, but it was her smile.

Her _fake _smile

Amani knew that Ranya's reasons for hiding her feelings were her own, but Shion was important. Shion was close. Why would he use such a smile? And why would he wear it so naturally as if he had worn it for many years?

_Had _he worn that smile for many years?

But those were questions best left alone. Amani was well aware that the subject of the conversation was just as sensitive to him as the subject about _that night _was to her. She respected and understood Shion's hesitance. She would patiently wait until Shion felt ready to open up. She would overlook his fake smiles since he would smile real ones too from time to time.

Instead, she focused on his eyes. They were the windows to his soul, weren't they? They were the best truth-tellers, in Amani's opinion. And what she saw in them did not disappoint her. They were so open with possibilities and so far-seeing that they reminded her of the sky itself.

Amani was thankful that he had Ranya's beautiful, blue eyes.

* * *

"No, thank you."

Of course, Shion said no. He wasn't willing to throw away such trust Aladdin placed on him and he liked the younger Magi better. Besides, he knew Judal too well to trust the dark magi.

"Brat!"

-Which was why he took many steps away from the immature teen before giving him his answer. He may be reckless, but he was by no means suicidal.

Glancing at the ice spear imbedded inches away from his left side, Shion gave Judal a dry look. "That was very immature of you. And dangerous. What if I didn't dodge?"

There was a sound of someone slapping their forehead.

"You idiot! You're just as reckless as Sin!"

Oh. So it was Ja'far.

Shion sent an apologetic shrug at the freckled advisor's direction. It wasn't as if he _wanted_ to anger the Magi on purpose. He wasn't _that _immature. It would be like stooping to Judal's level!

"Sit still, chibi-er chibi. I want you covered with holes by the time I'm done with you!" Judal shouted from Shion's far right. As promised, a hundred or so ice shards were shot towards the boy, followed by a ball of lightning. Shion just barely managed to dodge of the harmful projectiles.

When he finished his dodging, Shion prepared himself for the next barrage but it never came. For some unknown reason, Judal was staring at him with shock in his eyes accompanied by some form of gleeful excitement suitable for a child who was just told that he would receive gifts every day. Christmas? That was the celebration in the other world, correct? Or was that Halloween?

Shion found his staring a bit perturbing. Even more disturbing, the Magi seemed to have completely abandoned his small 'boy hunt' to give creepy stares at the said hunted boy. "Ah…so did you calm down?"

"Brat…Shion." Judal corrected himself much to the child's surprise. "Do you have parents?"

"Funny, someone asked me that a couple days ago." Shion muttered. "Why is that question so popular? You're not planning to whisk me away to some far away country to raise me in a secluded place if I say no, are you?" He asked suspiciously.

Judal actually looked thoughtful. "Maybe…"

"Then yes, I do have parents." Shion informed the dark magi wearily. "They're not here if you're planning to murder them. My mom is somewhere _far _away getting special medical treatment from some weird disease and my father is currently unavailable."

"Unavailable, you say? Do you even know him?" Judal asked with a malicious glint in his eyes.

Shion's expression soured. "I was an 'oops' baby, if that's what you're insinuating. Since Mother was ill ever since I was young, I didn't get to see her that much. Uncle was the one to tell me about my father. He told me that my father was some sort of merchant. Or was it a traveler? Wait…I think he's a bum. Uncle did say that he drank too much." Shion scratched his head. "Honestly, I have no idea what that guy does. _But_ he's alive…I think."

Well…that didn't come out as eloquently as it sounded in his head. But from experience, Judal wasn't one to appreciate a good speech anyways. Actually, the magi seemed to be laughing his head off at his answer.

"Shion!" He heard Yasmine hiss from the crowd. "Your head!"

His…head? Shion reached over to pat his head to find whatever was on it. Nothing. There was noth-

Oh

_Oh_

"He knocked my turban off my head, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did." Shion stumbled back at Amani's sudden appearance at his side. She calmly handed his metal vessel back to him before beginning to tie his turban back onto his head.

Judal came to Amani's side and roughly smacked her hands away. "What's the point?" He snarled at her. "_Everyone _saw, you know? It's useless to cover him up."

"Children need to keep their heads warm to keep healthy." The white-haired teen argued. "Balbadd gets cold during the evening."

"Stop babying him, Old Hag! He's more than strong enough to deal with the cold." Judal scoffed while snatching the cloth from her hands and sticking out his tongue. "And you'll only make him weaker if you let him keep this thing on."

Amani sent him a quizzical look.

"Can't you see the magoi _seals_ in this thing or are you losing your eyesight from age, Old Hag? They were practically sucking the magoi out of his system at every given moment and he was walking around like it was nothing this whole time!" The excited edge that bordered near maniacal. "This kid is powerful!"

"No, these are _memory seals_. Completely different from what you're talking about." Yasmine spoke up from her spot. Judal barely acknowledged her presence.

"Shion's uncle probably placed them on him so he wouldn't remember the times he accidentally saw his own hair for his own safety." Amani chipped in though there was a flicker of doubt in her tone.

"Huh, so _that's_ why." Shion muttered to himself in wonder. It was a relief to know what was causing his memory lapses. At least the cause wasn't irreversible. Shion could already feel some of his old memories trickling back to his mind, much to his relief.

"Say, brat. What happened to your arm?" Judal asked in interest as he stared at the bandages around both of Shion's wrists.

"They got hurt ever since I was a baby. Uncle told me to never take them-hey!"

Suddenly, Shion felt his small body being flung back to a wall. Just when he regained his breath, he felt a sharp, burning pain in his right arm. In the haze of his pain, Shion saw that the end of Judal's wand was piercing his wrist like a blade. As sharp as the red jewel looked, Shion could _feel _how blunt it actually was and wished it could at least be a little bit sharper. It would have spared more of his nerves.

Judal yanked his bloody wand out of his wrist. "Wrong one." Shion heard him mutter under his breath.

Shion hissed. "That…that hurt, you know. Mind letting me down now?"

"No. It's for your own good."

"So this is…supposed to be…some sort of lesson…for being…smart with…you?"

"Sit still, brat." The dark haired male ordered with a smirk. "It'll be over in just a second."

_Was that supposed to make me sit still?_ Shion thought incredulously before another wave of pain shot through his other arm as Judal twisted his weapon, digging whatever was in his wrist (Skin? Bone? Muscle?) **out**.

He screamed.

As something cold, hard, and shiny dropped onto the ground, Shion distantly heard the sounds of his Blessed Children roaring in rage. He barely felt any discomfort as he was dropped onto the ground. He didn't even struggle against the darkness that was pulling him out of consciousness.

_All this_, he thought bemusedly as he watched his blood mix with the cursed strands of his hair, _because of the color of my hair._

"Shion!" Someone was calling for him. Who? "Shion! Stay awake!"

Ja'far? No, not Ja'far. This voice was different. Deeper. Stronger. Except, it didn't sound so strong now.

"Stay awake!"

But he couldn't…if he was in his older body, if he was stronger…perhaps…

"Resist, Shion! Keep yourself awake! You can't die!"

"_They'll kill you."_ Shion could hear his Uncle's whisper into his ear. _"I told you they would."_

The sound of a flute being played lulled Shion to sleep.

* * *

"Shion!"

Sinbad continued to shake the bleeding child in a vain attempt to awaken the unconscious child. Ja'far was by his side, desperately trying to stop the bleeding from Shion's wrists.

"There's too much." Ja'far panicked, "I can't stop all of this bleeding! This child needs a medic!"

There was no medic here. And even if there was, Shion would need an expert or a magician to save him. His wrists were torn up almost beyond repair and a large amount of his blood was streaming to the ground. Saving the child seemed to be impossible.

No, Sinbad couldn't allow it. He _wouldn't _allow such a thing to happen to Shion. He was still young, too young to die. He was too precious to be killed. That child was…

"Excuse me."

Sinbad and Ja'far looked up to see Amani standing over them with her metal vessel brought out. "Can you both please step away from Shion? I can help stop the bleeding and close up his wounds."

The two men obeyed but Sinbad hovered worriedly. "Is he going to…?"

"I can save him." Amani assured the king confidently. Her metal vessel changed into an hourglass. She turned it swiftly. The hourglass began to run while shrinking and turning into something else. A hairpin. Water began gathering around the metal ornament. "Spirits of Sorrow and Isolation, in the name of my Magoi-

Shion's wrists began to glow a golden color. The holes on his wrists had stopped bleeding and began to close itself.

"-What?" Amani's face twisted in confusion. A beautiful young man with blonde hair accompanied by a masked young woman rushed over to Shion's still body.

"Amani, what's happening?"

The white-haired princess glanced at the completely healed form of Shion, sharing the looks of shock and disbelief of the two men across her.

"I don't know."

* * *

Within his mindscape, Shion remembered.

He remembered that his Uncle failed to save his mother because of…because of Al Thamen's interference. He was eleven when he held her still body.

He remembered that his meeting with Aladdin and Alibaba during his fourteenth birthday was _not _coincidental.

He remembered training with Alibaba to achieve his djinn equip.

He remembered being protected by Morgiana during a battle.

He remembered that Aladdin choosing him as his King Candidate.

He remembered meeting his Blessed Children and slowly proving himself to them that he was the rightful king they should support.

He remembered every single adventure he went with them, gaining comrades and alliances one by one at every place he stopped at.

He remembered making timeless bonds.

He remembered falling in love.

He remembered visiting a majestic tomb on a nice evening and being told the truth about this birthright and his mother after all those years of being lied to.

He remembered betrayal.

He remembered blood.

He remembered pain.

Then, Shion remembered nothing.

* * *

Shion woke up in Yasmine's arms.

There was rubble everywhere. His nose was filled with the familiar stench of blood and screams scratched against his sensitive ears. He could make out the forms of Judal, Aladdin, and Ugo 'fighting it out'. And what a mess they made. There was ice and scorch marks everywhere from Judal's attacks while the holes on the ground and the rubble were courtesy of Aladdin's djinn.

Despite all of this chaos, Shion couldn't help but think – _Solomon, I'm so __**small**__._

This thought was not uncommon. Many times he would find himself comparing his smaller size to the others. It wasn't a habit that he was proud of. He had to constantly remind himself that he was just eight years old at the moment (almost _nine_) and he had years ahead of him to grow tall and strong. When he reached his age of maturity, Shion was sure that he would outgrow all of his Blessed Children.

But it still didn't help his poor pride.

"Yasmine?" He asked groggily. "What 'appened?"

Yasmine looked down on his form in surprise. "Shion?"

"No, I'm the great god Solomon using this child's body to bring world peace." Shion snapped sarcastically, getting back some of his bearings. Yasmine sent him a sharp look through her mask, immediately making him feel guilty. "Sorry. I'm just not having a good day."

"An understatement." Sai added in his two cents as he strolled over to the recently awakened child with a carefree expression. He was still wearing Cain's face. "Well, well, look who came back to the world of the living! Shion, buddy, we thought we wouldn't be seeing your pretty eyes until tomorrow afternoon!"

"How long was I out?"

"Fifteen minutes." Amani informed him, appearing out of nowhere. He sudden appearance surprised everyone, including Sai.

"_Solomon,_ Amani. We should really put a bell on you." The shape-shifter complained.

Amani stared at him blankly. "I wasn't using my abilities this time so it's not my fault. You need to pay more attention to your surroundings, Sai. You're representing the Kou Empire, _Cain_. They'd be embarrassed by your incompetence."

"…Ouch. Did I do something to you?" Sai asked his normally friendly companion warily. "If you got tangled into any of my pranks, I swear it was for Yasmine, not you."

"Since we're in the middle of a battle, I will ignore what you just said for now." Yasmine stated darkly. "For now."

Amani ignored Sai and walked up to Shion. She held up his wrists and inspected them gently. "Your wounds seem to have closed up for now but don't pick at the bandages too much or you'll reopen them."

"Did you use Foras' special ability to heal me?" Shion asked. Guilt surged into his heart. Foras' mimicking ability gave Amani the capability to "mimic" any metal vessel ability that her metal vessel came into contact with. The ability seemed ridiculously powerful, even to Shion, until he heard about the consequences.

The hourglass that Amani's metal vessel turns into held the sand that measures how long she could keep the form. The more powerful the metal vessel is, the less time the form can hold.

Even worse, Amani's body would be forced into a temporarily weakened state afterwards. The time that she would be in that state would depend on the strength of the metal vessel user she would be imitating and the amount of time she would take on the form.

The ability, in the end, would always put a strain in Amani's body and health.

To Shion's surprise, Amani shook her head. "No. I was about to, but you somehow managed to heal yourself."

"That jerk Judal didn't seem surprised." Yasmine noted with a scowl. "Someone should put a leash on that kid. Who knows what sort of destruction he could bring into this world by just existing."

Shion held a hand up to silence her. "I know he's immature and cruel, but Judal did me a favor by doing what he did, believe it or not. It seems that Uncle hid a lot of things from me. Look." From his outstretched hand, a concentrated ball of magoi appeared and remained there, strong and steady. "I feel as if an ocean of magoi was unlocked from inside of me. I even got my magoi control from my past life back!"

All three of the Blessed Children smiled at Shion's enthusiasm.

"…So is anybody going to tell me why we're on a roof of a building?"

Amani frowned. "It's getting close to the scene where Aladdin loses control of Ugo. I 'suggested' to Sinbad to clear everyone out of the perimeter of the battle so no one would get hurt ahead of time so no risks could be taken."

"Good move." Shion complimented with an encouraging smile.

"Yes, but it all would have gone a bit faster if Sinbad didn't fuss over you for an extra minute." Yasmine grouched. "And that evil vizier! He's like an unbearable mother hen! So fussy!"

Sai snorted in amusement. "You do know that he's good in this universe, right?"

Yasmine waved him away. "His name is _Ja'far_. If Aladdin is the main character in this universe, how could we be sure that Ja'far wouldn't play the same role in this version of the story? I'm just saying that we should keep an eye on that one."

"Disney fanatic." He teased.

"Two-faced son of a jackal." She snapped back.

Shion ignored the bickering pair and stared as Ugo tossed Judal around like a rag doll. Though he didn't really appreciate the torture that the magi put him through, he owed it to the rude magi that he had his abilities back. Shion had secretly despised the fact that his weak body was a liability in many of his adventures with his Blessed Children. Not only that, Shion could also walk around with his hair free from his turban without fearing death constantly.

He knew the truth now. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Without warning the others, Shion jumped from his perch on the roof and made his way over to the djinn and the two magi. "OI! UGO! STOP!"

And surprisingly, the headless djinn obeyed.

Judal was crumped up onto the ground, twitching and groaning. Shion unfortunately came too late to save Judal from having all of his bones being completely shattered. "Look, I take full responsibility for this guy over here. I know he seems to be quite a bit of a nuisance to fate, but I can fix that. Trust me Ugo, as a friend of Aladdin's, to deal with this."

Ugo's stance was beginning to falter, encouraging Shion with his speech. "He was chosen by the rukh for a reason. His existence in this world serves for a purpose. His fall into depravity is not completely his fault. Removing Judal right now will not change much. Besides, _would you really do such a thing in front of Aladdin?_"

Aladdin was shaking in fear and confusion behind an upturned rock and Alibaba was beside him as always. Both looked upon the scene in horror.

Ugo stiffened.

"See?" Shion told the djinn in a more gentle voice. "Stop this madness. You have confused Aladdin enough with your rash actions. Besides," he added in a sadder tone, "you are already running out of _his _magoi, aren't you? You won't be able to return to solid form after this. Don't let your last moments in this world be spent taking a life. Instead, spend it with Aladdin."

When he was thoroughly convinced that Ugo wouldn't be doing anything more to Judal, Shion whistled Amani over and gestured over to Judal's severely beaten up body. "Amani, would you mind-?"

"Of course I wouldn't." She assured him. Her metal vessel mimicked Vinea and began slowly healing the magi.

Shion turned to Ugo and dipped his head. "Thank you. I will not make you regret your choice."

"JUDAL!" A voice suddenly shrieked in horror.

Shion gulped.

It seems that Kougyoku finally made her appearance.

* * *

There was a difference between knowing and experiencing.

Kougyoku would know.

There was once a time when Sydney despised Kougyoku's character. She had thought of the eighth princess as hopelessly desperate romantic and an airhead to boot. Every choice she made was made judging by her emotions, not her logic. To Sydney's eyes, Kougyoku was weak.

_What was the statement again? 'You never know a person unless you walk in their shoes for two moons?'_

Unfortunately for Sydney, she was in Kougyoku's shoes. By some twisted form of a coincidence, she had ended up being reborn as the person she hated the most. She _was _Ren Kougyoku now, whether she liked it or not.

Ironically, she ended up liking it. She appreciated it. She learned so much by being in Kougyoku's position. She learned about all that political shit that the eighth princess had to go through because she was _expendable._ She learned that the only reason why she was even _alive _was because of her abilities, which were hazy at best. Anything that she saw with her 'truth eyes' could have two sides, a hidden message, anything. To sum it up, her abilities were too ambiguous to be completely useful. Sydney learned that the Kou Princess wasn't weak after all. It was _Sydney__._ _She _was the weak one. _She _was the hopeless learned that Kougyoku, in an essence, were not so different after all and that the girl that Harley hated was simply her own reflection. _Her_. No one else.

Sydney would never be able to take these shoes off.

They were hers now.

Kougyoku stared down on the crumpled up form of her friend in horror.

The manga pictures always made the wounds seem so…superficial. Yes, the plots were deep and the characters were well rounded, but they were just _pictures_, 2D images that are black and white.

In those pictures, Judal wasn't black and blue _all over_. In those pictures, his body wasn't as twisted and contorted and _oh my Solomon is that __**bone **__sticking out of his leg?_ His body looked like one of those deflated, discolored balloons that couldn't be blown up again because it was damaged. But he was alive. Severely damaged, but alive.

_What if she hadn't come in time?_ It was a scary thought.

"My lady." Koubun murmured in concern. "Should we…?"

What to do? What to do?

Ugo was a good guy in the manga. Sydney even cheered for him when he had beaten up Judal since Judal was the bad guy. That was back when everything was so simple, simple.

But that bad Judal wasn't _her _Judal. This was _her _Judal. He was the friend who had kept her company during the usually lonely dinners, the friend who showered her with ridiculous gifts in attempts of expressing his 'feelings' (whatever the heck they were), the friend who raised a dungeon for her to capture upon her request.

This Judal was important to her.

And this Ugo had **hurt **him.

"Koubun, take Judal and leave. I will take care of things here." Kougyoku ordered in a cold, flat tone that offered no room for argument. Koubun nodded and ordered the other guards that accompanied them to retrieve Judal. Amani didn't make that much of a fuss and stopped her healing when Koubun took over. He bowed to her in thanks and acknowledgement. Amani was an important person in Kou, after all.

"I will take my leave, princess. Are you sure that you wouldn't-?"

"-That would be all, Koubun. Leave me."

Koubun obeyed. In moments, the carpet and magi were departing towards the Balbadd Palace. Only the princess of Kou remained.

"Kou-chan…" A blonde pretty boy said warningly. Kougyoku almost didn't recognize him. Not that she cared. Sai's opinion didn't matter in this situation. The plan be damned, she was going to _destroy _the djinn for what he did.

"You hurt a very important person of mine, Giant." Kougyoku took out her hairpin and pointed it at the headless djinn. "Prepare to pay the price of messing with the allies of this Kou Princess."

"Kougyoku, NO!" She distantly heard Yasmine shout. But no, no, no, she was going to finish this. She was going do what the original Kougyoku did in the first place. She was going to allow her bloodlust to take over and she will _crush _this djinn from existence.

Water began gathering around Kougyoku's form and hairclip. Ugo, sensing her animosity, readied himself for battle. Her eyes narrowed at the _audacity _of him to even consider trying to defend himself.

"Spirits of Sorrow and Isolation, in the name of my Magoi and my will to grant me a greater power, I order you to gather around me to attach yourselves to me and impose yourself the great djinn upon my body Vin-

A hand clamped down her arm and cut off the flow of her magoi, effectively cutting off her transformation. "Stop this, Miss!"

Kougyoku was snapped back to reality and dropped her metal vessel as if it burned her. "What…?"

"Miss, you seem to be the Kou Empire's Princess." The deep voice said soothingly. "Please, calm yourself. These sort of disputes should only be settled between royals."

"Yes…I'm sorry." She whimpered, her rash actions finally processing through her mind. She ripped her hand off of the man's grasp and covered her face in mortification while bursting into tears. "I can't believe I allowed myself to lose control like that! I'm so sorry!"

The man who stopped her was probably slowly backing away from her from her because of her emotional outburst.

Ugo, behind her, relaxed his stance when he realized that she would no longer attack him and lumbered over to Aladdin who was most likely relieved that he didn't fight her. For her sake, since he wasn't aware of what Kougyoku was fully capable of.

"Kougyoku!"

The sound of Shion's voice brought relief to the Kou Princess. She was more than prepared to catch the young boy-King. "Shion!"

Shion's small hands cupped Kougyoku's tearstained face and wiped them away carefully so her make-up wouldn't smudge. "It's okay. It's okay. Mr. Sinbad stopped you before you did anything crazy, right? It's okay. You didn't ruin anything. Ugo is still there. It's okay."

Most would feel embarrassment to be comforted by a child. She didn't.

Shion was her anchor. He was the sole reason why she was here. Without him, she wouldn't have been able to be who she was at the moment: A Blessed Child, someone important.

Shion was her King.

Other arms wrapped around her in comfort.

"Sister Kougyoku, we're here. We don't blame you for being upset." Amani soothed. "You were stopped before you did anything rash so there's nothing to be sorry for.

"Yeah Kougyoku, you had all the right to get angry. Even if that bratty kid _did _deserve that beating…" Yasmine muttered the last part to herself.

"Please don't fret, Kou-chan…um I mean, _my lady_." Sai corrected himself while clearing his throat uncomfortably. Clearly, the persona he took on as a front made it hard for him to comfort her properly. Not that she minded since the thought counted.

Kougyoku sniffled. "Shion, where did your turban go?" Didn't they agree to hide his hair? She didn't understand why but Sai and Amani had seemed to agree upon something when they saw his hair.

"Yeah, I sort of gave up on hiding it after a certain someone ripped my turban off my head in front of everyone." The young boy said sheepishly while ruffling his hair self-consciously. "Does the color clash with my eyes?"

"I think it compliments them nicely."

Kougyoku looked up and froze.

Sinbad

It was _Sinbad._

The man who the original Kougyoku fell in love with

The man who was the ruler of all Seven Seas

The man who would eventually use her

Sinbad caught her gaze and smiled charmingly at her. His smile could have melted the hearts of a thousand maidens, but for Kougyoku, it only made hers jerk, splutter, and die like a broken engine. What her eyes saw could have been the most vague images that could be translated in a thousand different ways. But, in her inner fear and panic, she saw him as an impenetrable, undefeatable tsunami that would undoubtedly swallow her up and drown her and everything else without a care.

Then, her eyes wandered from Sinbad to Shion and then to Sinbad again.

"Shion."

Shion noticed her gaze and flushed in embarrassment.

"Ah, yeah. I almost forgot. This is Kougyoku, the eighth princess of Kou and the fiancée of King Ahbmad of Balbadd. Kougyoku, this is…" Shion trailed off uncertainly when he looked at Sinbad but at the encouraging smile from the older man, he found the confidence to continue the introduction. "This is King Sinbad of Sindria, Ruler of the Seven Seas, Capturer of Seven Dungeons, and…well, to put it simply, my f-f-f-f-f-f-father." Shion struggled saying the last part.

Kougyoku gaped at the new information, though the more rational part of her mind chided her for being so dense.

After all, the purple color of Shion's hair should have been an obvious indicator.

Shion slowly turned to Sinbad and avoided making eye contact, obviously very guilty about something. The princess of Kou, now less afraid of the Sindrian King, looked onto the scene in curiosity. Shion opened his mouth.

"Sorry for calling you a bum."

* * *

And here we end our chapter.

To make things clear: 

1. Shion honestly did not know that his father was Sinbad during his time in Balbadd.

2. Yunan is one of the three magi (sans Aladdin) and Shion's Uncle. He is also Ranya's older brother.

3. Since he is the child of both a First Class Anomaly and a blood relative of a magi, Shion's birth would have caused so many natural disasters that it wouldn't have been funny. He placed a rukh suppressor on Shion from birth to prevent this. The memory suppressor that was added onto the turban to (a) Ensure that Shion would not remember his hair color (since Shion didn't always wear that thing. He needs to bathe from time to time.) and (b) to act as a memory wiper to the people around him if they ever catch sight of his hair. The seals activate when Shion puts his turban on. That's why no one forgot about his hair color yet.

4. No, Judal wasn't being nice. He just sensed the magoi suppressor and wanted to see how strong Shion is. He could have cared less if Shion died of blood loss.

Apologies for the passionate intro at the top but the review had brought to my attention a few things that I had forgotten to clear up (or hadn't cleared up clearly enough). Which, I guess, is a good thing in the form of some heavy critique. I guess the guy/girl is a die-hard magi fan for being so picky about the background data (shrugs).

Again, if people have any confusion or assumptions, just ask and I will answer. Seriously. I answer them all.

And HOLY SHIZ 43 REVIEWS? I LOVE YOU GUYS! Ahh, I feel so lucky to have such wonderful readers. And reviewers. All your reviews made me all happy and warm inside.

Love you guys! Even you, Disappointed Hater, since you bothered to review! (Dances around like a maniac.)

Thank you for reading and REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 8: Change

Otaku-sama is back and finals-free!

You have NO idea how lighter I feel with all of those finished. But then again, I have subject tests to do now. ( ) They never end!

But I have another chapter here for all of you so rejoice! BTW thank you for all of you who reviewed! They make me happy. Which causes me to write more. Which makes everyone happy. Yay! Happiness!

...let's just get to the part where I say "Enjoy!" and you all read.

* * *

**Children of Solomon**

Chapter 8: Change

* * *

Amani stared at the long expanse of empty ground spread out in front of her.

This was what was left of her old home.

After Sinbad settled the dispute peacefully, Sai escorted Kougyoku back to the palace where Koubun and the other bodyguards were most likely waiting. He dropped his "Cain" form since they would be more accepting of his presence since he was a friend. It seemed that Judal was still alive, though heavily injured.

Ugo disappeared back into his flute after a few last moments with Aladdin and never came out again. This time, Kougyoku wasn't the cause. According to Shion's theory, Ugo had used up most of his 'extra Solomon rukh', that had allowed him to come into this world, in his attempt on killing Judal. Though Aladdin didn't blame Kougyoku (it seems that Judal was going to be used as the scapegoat this time), he was still desperate to bring Ugo back. He had almost used up all of his rukh in his attempt, putting him in a state of unconsciousness.

Shion could have stopped him, but he didn't.

As much as it made him feel guilty, Aladdin _had _to receive Solomon's Wisdom. It was one of the events that _could not _be changed because of its importance.

_Was Kassim's death something that was unchangeable?_

It was a question that had haunted her ever since Sai had confronted her about _that night_ and his insistence that her brother-friend's death was necessary for everything to move along.

_But Sai lies. It wouldn't be the first time he did._ A voice in her mind whispered chanted in her mind desperately.

Amani hoped that it was true.

The conflict in her mind forced her to find a quieter and more open space to mull over her problems.

Which lead her to this place.

Amani didn't know why, but the thought that this used to be where her home was managed to calm her nerves and mind. But, just as her thoughts of worry disappeared, a pang in her heart replaced it.

The slums had never left Amani.

It was as if the place imprinted itself into her soul and breath. No matter how many hours she spent with Fatima practicing her body language and steps, there would always be a piece of the slums there. In her fighting style, her speech patterns, and her way of eating, the slums were there. It would _always _be there with her.

Sometimes, Amani wondered if she made the right choice by following Alibaba into the palace.

Sometimes, she imagined a life where she remained with Kassim and Mariam.

Life would have been simpler there. She would have been happier there. She could have changed so many things without altering the storyline too much. She could have avoided the messiness of politics and corruption. She could have led a life where she could be Ghost and just Ghost.

But things never really do go the way people want. That was fate and Amani wouldn't argue. She could only move forward and wish for the best.

So, the Balbadd Princess walked away from what once was Junkyard Street, leaving behind memories, laughter, and regrets.

* * *

When Amani returned to the Fog Troupe Hideout, she found Sahbmad speaking with Alibaba with the General beside him, acting as support. A fleeting smile flickered across her lips at the rare show of bravery from her normally cowardly older brother.

The remnants of the Fog Troupe and Sinbad were overlooking the conversation with expressions mixed with horror and disgust. Amani already knew Ahbmad's plan of making Balbadd into a slave country so the reactions were completely understandable.

"Brother Sahbmad." She called out warmly, interrupting their conversation. "What a wonderful surprise to see you here."

Sahbmad's solemn expression brightened at the sight of his pale sister. "Sister Amani!"

Amani nodded in greeting to her brother's old sword instructor before coming over to her half-brother's side. She took his hand, which had noticeably stopped shaking. "It must have been hard coming over here. What news do you bring?"

"I'll tell you about it later, Amani." Alibaba cut in quickly. "Sahbmad should be going back to the palace. It's getting late and we don't want him to be caught."

"I see." She turned to her half-brother and embraced him. "Be safe, brother. Alibaba and I are going to fix things so rest your worries."

Alibaba and Amani said their farewells to their half brother as he departed back into the palace. When the carriage seemed to be out of sight, Alibaba abruptly grabbed his sister's sleeve and dragged her back into the building and led her to his room. Knowing that her brother had something troubling in his mind, Amani allowed this and followed him without a struggle.

"Amani," he started when he closed the door, "I can't do this. I can't be a leader like Kassim and Sinbad. I can't…I can't be as strong as all of you. Did you see how weak I was when we battled against Judal? I was so-"

The white-haired girl watched her brother as he paced around the room. She allowed him to express his anxieties and doubts to her without any comments or judgment. Those were reserved for the end.

"-And I think that I should just leave. It would be better for everyone." Alibaba finished lamely while looking at his sister for some sort of response. Amani took a seat on her brother's bed and looked out of the window.

"Alibaba, remember the day I told you about my engagement?"

"Yeah?"

"You freaked out and hid inside your room before I could say anything else." Amani recounted, much to her brother's embarrassment. "You didn't let me into your room for the rest of the day."

"Are we trying to go somewhere with this?"

Amani frowned. "You ran away, Alibaba. You'd always run away when I need you the most. I understand that it's a natural reaction for you to just leave when you feel helpless about the situation. But this isn't something as silly and small as an engagement. Believe it or not, people depend on you Alibaba. Kassim may have the charisma and Sinbad may have the experience, but _you_ are their prince. _You,_ the one who carries ties with both our father and the people, are the one they look to at the end."

Alibaba looked terrified at Amani's words. He was already too well aware of that weight but hearing his sister tell him this made it even more real. "What do you expect me to do?" He asked hopelessly.

"Stay." Amani told him firmly. "Stay here in Balbadd. You came here to fix your mistakes, right? Finish what you have started, Alibaba Saluja."

At the end, Alibaba asked to be left alone to think a little bit more on the subject.

Amani knew that he was going to try running away.

She left him alone anyways.

* * *

Shion awkwardly sat in his seat as Ja'far fussed over his wounds and scolded him for being so reckless. It wasn't that the advisor was making him feel uncomfortable. Well, that would be a lie. Shion wasn't used to being cared for by an adult so this was an alien experience. (Amani didn't count!)

No, the source of his discomfort sat across from him.

Sinbad

His _father_

The time traveler shifted uncomfortable under the man's concerned gaze. "I'm fine." He assured both the advisor and the king. "Really. See? It's not bleeding anymore. All fixed up."

"But your wrists were all cut up." Ja'far said stubbornly. "You were dying."

"Not anymore." Shion soothed. "My wrists look as good as new. Look. No cuts. No infections. No discoloration. I am _fine_."

When Ja'far was finally convinced that Shion wasn't going to fall apart, he conceded in stopping his fussing and backed off, which left Shion alone with his father in the dinner table.

Sinbad smiled brightly to calm Shion's nerves. Kind smiles from an adult usually calmed anxious children down. Unfortunately, Shion wasn't a normal child so the charming smile only got him more nervous and apprehensive. Sinbad, as a king, appeared as a potential threat in Shion's experienced mind so he was automatically weary. At the same time, the childish part of him was shy. In both of his lives, Shion never knew his father so he didn't know how to act. Yes, he had father figures here and there but this was different. This man was actually his flesh and blood.

"Shion," Sinbad said, "is there anything you need? Are you hungry? Cold? Tired?"

_He's a threat!_ The War Veteran in him cried out. _Don't trust him! He'll use our weakness against us!_

_But he's family!_ The Child in him insisted. _He just wants to take care of us!_

_Sinbad is a powerful person so we should keep an eye on him. _The King in him agreed with the War Veteran. _But that doesn't mean he would be a threat to __**us**__. We are his flesh and blood. An honorable man like him would not harm us. He has no ill intentions, just concern, nervousness, and excitement. I feel that this situation is new to him too. Let's give him a chance to be our father._

Shion spoke.

"Can I," he began cautiously, "Can I call you 'Father'?"

Sinbad appeared shocked at the child's request. It was as if Shion had asked him for permission to breathe air. He took it as a good sign that the man had already acknowledged him as his own. Shion's body relaxed.

"Father." Shion tested the word. "Fa-ther. I never thought I would have one, honestly. I thought that I would always just have Mother and Uncle."

"Is that a bad thing?" Sinbad ventured with a curious look.

Shion shook his head. "No. It's actually very nice. I'd like to continue having a father if you don't mind. Is that a bad thing?" He mimicked his father with a joking grin.

"No." Sinbad shared Shion's grin. "And I will be your father as long as you like, Shion. The offer to come to Sindria with me is still open. Will you come with me to my country?"

He was offering, not just taking him. Shion liked that. And Sinbad was truly, honestly willing to take him under his wing, which was not a bad thing. Besides, he needed to come to Sindria to follow the main events of the timeline anyways.

That and he really, really, _really_, wanted to spend more time with this father of his.

"I promised Sai that I wouldn't slack off in my training. Will you help me achieve my djinn equip?" Shion asked anyways to make sure.

"I will train you myself." Sinbad vowed.

"Amani and Yasmine are a bit protective of me. Will I be safe from any assassins there?"

"They won't even dare when Ja'far is there."

"Kougyoku is a Princess of Kou. Would I still be allowed to be friends with her?"

"She will be an honored guest if she ever comes over to Sindria, as will your other friends if they ever decide to visit."

"I'll come." Shion announced with a confident nod after his barrage of questions. "After Balbadd, I'll go with you to Sindria."

Sinbad beamed. "I'm glad."

Masrur, who had been standing behind Shion for a while, patted him on the head without the turban obstructing him from the child's purple hair.

Shion thought he heard Ja'far sniffling in the background.

* * *

"Your brother is a wuss."

Surprisingly, it wasn't Sai who said this.

Amani shot Yasmine a look before giving up since there was a good amount of truth in her comment. "Please keep your thoughts to yourself. He's my brother."

"And I have a brain and a mouth. I repeat: Your brother is a wuss. He cries too easily and he runs the moment the shit hits the fan. I think you spoiled him too much."

"Yes, and it's my fault." Amani said dryly while making her way to her room.

Yasmine followed her casually. "Yes. I mean you practically raised the kid. Face it, Amani. You pampered and protected him too much. I think the kid needs a major wake-up call if he wants to set his head straight."

"He did." Amani said abruptly when she stopped by her door. "Kassim died."

"In the manga." Yasmine reminded her friend. "In the timeline that didn't have us in it. Our _existence _is changing everything. If we play this right, your friend won't have to die and your wimp brother will set his head straight on his own. Look, I know that Sai and Kougyoku obsess over the 'main characters' and their 'character development' but this is _real _life. This isn't some storybook. The only 'characters' in this weird story that should matter to us is ourselves."

"So…?"

"Be selfish! Be greedy! Screw the consequences and the carefully made plans. If Kassim making out of this whole fiasco alive makes you happy, then do your goddamned best to save him. Worry about your brother's stupid 'character development' later. People change all the time, but death is irreversible."

Amani blinked.

"Are you trying to tell me to throw away the fate of the word for the sake of my childhood friend?" She said in disbelief.

Her friend scowled and rolled her eyes. "_No_, I'm telling you to stop following the stupid script and start using that brain of yours. If Sai says he can't see a happy ending, then you _create_ that happy ending yourself. He wasn't the top student in high school. You were, which gives you genius rights."

"Genius rights?"

"Means that you rank higher than him in smart things. So use your head and think up of something better than that joker's plan, _genius_." Yasmine mocked playfully.

Amani smiled at the jab. Yasmine always had a straightforward view when she saw the world. Though the overlooking of the details could be a setback at some situations, it definitely helped Amani in this one. Just create your own ending, huh? Her smile turned into a teasing smirk. "Don't you outrank Sai too, then? Don't be so lazy and try chipping in too, Miss Second Place."

Yasmine huffed.

"Shut up. It's supposed to be my vacation so I deserve a break from using this beautiful brain. I overworked it on the last mission so I let the slacker do the work this time. And stop spoiling that brother of yours."

* * *

"So…how's our favorite antagonist, Kou-chan?"

Sai stayed with Kougyoku despite Koubun's protests. He claimed that he did it because he was 'bored'. Kougyoku knew better. The truth didn't escape from her eyes, after all. Sai, for all his pranks and quips, actually cared for his friends.

Which pretty much only consisted of the other Blessed Children plus Shion.

(According to him, everyone else "could just burn in hell". No joke.)

"_Judal _will live." She informed him, stressing _Judal _to make it very clear that she didn't appreciate the nickname. "And he _won't _be an antagonist."

"Denial is a scary thing, Kou-chan. You can only go so far before the truth comes out." Sai warned her with a lazy smile. "Our little 'Judal-chan' may listen to your shallow requests but he's a loose canon. At the first whiff of blood, he'll be off to join the slaughter and leave you to the dust. It's in his nature."

"I _know _that." Kougyoku snarled, losing her composure. "What do you take me for? An idiot?" When Sai opened his mouth, she cut him off. "Don't you _dare _answer that, Sai!"

He snapped his mouth shut audibly.

Rolling her eyes, Kougyoku made her way over to a chair. "I hate you."

"No, you love me." Sai interjected easily. "I know you're lying. You suck at lying, which is fitting for a truth-seer like you. Though your acting is impressive! Judal acted just as I planned and it's all thanks to you! Honestly, I didn't expect it to work since it depended on your acting skills but my lessons sure paid off, didn't it? I'll be giving you five stars for that, Kou-chan. Bravo!"

Bile rose in her throat at the mention of her little performance. She turned away from her companion stubbornly. "Shut up." Her lip trembled a little. "_Shut up_, Sai. This…this isn't a game. It's hard doing this to a friend. He might be a character to you but he's my _friend_!"

Kougyoku always found it troublesome that her culture required her to cover her face with her sleeves or a fan all the time. But now, she used it to her full advantage when tears began rolling down her face. It was embarrassing enough that she broke down in front of a crowd. Breaking down in front of Sai when they were alone together was worse!

She heard Sai sigh and make his way over to her chair. He patted her head. "Sorry. I guess I went a little too far this time."

Kougyoku dared to peek at Sai. She ignored his apologetic expression and focused on his aura instead. Even with her eyes, it was difficult for her to read the true sneaky ones. The images around them were as shifty and fickle as the people they represented. His aura seemed sincere enough, but there were a few moments when Kougyoku swore she saw flashes of shadows and rot.

(No, there **were **shadows and rot. It was a fact. They were always there.)

"Sai, are you not telling us something?" Kougyoku asked suddenly, making the teen beside her freeze. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Sai resumed his patting, though there was a certain stiffness and animosity in the action this time. "Oh? And what makes you so confident that what I'm hiding from you is relevant? I always keep things to myself, you know. Stop being so nosey." There was warning in his tone and his aura now resembled a cornered wolf.

"Sai…whatever you are planning on doing, don't do it." She warned him, careful of not inquiring any further what he was hiding. "I don't know what you're trying to cook up this time, but if it hurts Amani…"

"Don't worry. What I'm doing right now is for her happiness. No matter what my opinions on the subject are, Amani's feelings go first." Sai promised softly. "I owe it to her, after all. She forgave me after all I did. I am in no place to condemn others for making the same mistake. So, for her sake, what I am planning won't do anything that would intentionally hurt her. If it does, stop me but don't tell the others. You can do that, right?"

Sai was completely sincere in his confession but…

There was regret. She could feel, taste, and even _hear _it in his voice. And that made her a little apprehensive. What could he be planning that could elicit such a strong emotional response from her normally well-controlled friend? What had made him crack?

Should she help him?

"_Please_, Kou-chan."

Kougyoku glanced sadly at the saltwater that was pooling around Sai's feet. She knew that it had nothing to do with the sea. Sai hated raw seafood of all kinds and avoided traveling on ships as much as he could.

No, the water represented the tears that he was undoubtedly holding back.

_What are you planning to do?_

"Don't worry, Sai. I will."

* * *

"What should I do?"

It was simple enough for Yasmine to convince her to go on and save Kassim, but now Amani was facing a different dilemma.

_**How**__ can she save him?_

She worried so much on whether or not she should save her childhood friend that she had completely disregarded on _what _to do in order to save the said childhood friend. _Some genius you are, Amani Saluja _she thought to herself bitterly.

"Is there something the matter?"

Amani jumped into a defensive position at the sound of a stranger's voice. She faced a calm-faced Ja'far holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "I apologize for startling you, Princess Amani."

"Mr. Ja'far!" Embarrassed, she relaxed her body. "I'm sorry for reacting in such a way…I was caught off guard. It won't happen again."

"No, no. Your reflexes are impressive and it is always good to be prepared at all times. You also showed impressive restraint. An amateur would have attacked senselessly." Ja'far complimented with a soft smile. "Fatima had taught you well."

Amani jerked at the mention of her beloved teacher. "You knew Teacher?"

"Yes, she was my sister." Ja'far told Amani with a bittersweet tone. "She was more talented in the arts of assassination that I would ever be. It's not surprising that she had managed to instill her fighting style so flawlessly into her student."

"Thank you." Amani didn't know what else to say. 'I'm sorry for your loss?' 'I'm sorry that she died?' 'I knew and loved her very well too?'

Instead, she asked him, "Were you two close?"

"No." Ja'far stated bluntly. "We didn't get along. That is why I decided to serve in Sindria while she remained in Balbadd. Being far away from each other was the best course for us."

Amani couldn't imagine that. Even though Ja'far's confessed in being related to Fatima, the information honestly didn't surprise her. Amani found it fitting that the pair were siblings. Both were calm, wry, practical, and so much alike in character. For them to not get along was very hard for her to envision. But saying this, Amani felt, seemed a little rude. Who was she to judge in someone else's family affairs?

"I see." She said instead.

"But she was important to you, wasn't she?" Ja'far asked sympathetically. The pained expression that crossed her face confirmed his assumption. Amani felt his hand touch her shoulder comfortingly. "You must have loved her very much. Please, do not blame yourself for something that was unavoidable."

(But it _was _avoidable. It _was_. But because she was such a **coward** she just sat back and watched. Fatima's death…_that _incident…they were her punishments for not saving Mariam and for not preventing Alibaba from escaping the palace. She deserved it.)

"It's…my fault that she died." Amani told Ja'far suddenly. "Fatima…Fatima was doing fine. She could hold thousands of men on her own. But…but then I…screamed and then she…if I had just kept _quiet_ she would have…"

(Hate me. Hate me. Hate me. Hate me.)

"Oh dear." Amani felt hands touch her face gently. They ghosted over her cheeks to wipe away the tears that weren't there. "Shhh, don't think like that. Despite our differences, I knew my sister well. She would not have blamed you for your actions. _Especially_ not for screaming." She heard the frown in Ja'far's voice.

"But-

"You were being violated in the most personal way. I think that was a reason enough to call for help. My sister's death was only a result of timing and circumstance." Ja'far said firmly. He looked at her sadly. "I am sorry that such a thing happened to you at such a young age."

Amani wanted to stop talking about it. She wanted to stop thinking about it. She wanted to continue pretending that everything on that night never happened and that she was still whole.

_Kassim_, she decided to focus on. _He's the one you want to save. Forget about what happened and focus on your friend._

"How is Shion?" She asked, changing the subject. If Ja'far noticed, he didn't comment on it. A joyful expression crossed his face at the mention of the boy. "He's talking with Sin." He informed Amani excitedly. "They are getting along very well!"

Amani smiled warmly. "I'm glad. Shion had always wanted to meet his father, no matter how much he denied it verbally. It's good that he's allowing Sinbad into his life."

Ja'far and Amani shared warm smiles for their respective kings.

Amani found that Ja'far was, just as she suspected, very loyal to his king despite the trouble that the man brought with him. It was a good trait for a vassal to have and she hoped that one day she would be just as good of an advisor to Shion when he became king.

_Perhaps I'll ask Koubun for pointers. _Amani considered thoughtfully as she spoke with Ja'far about Shion. _Though he may be a bit ambitious for a servant, that man knows what he's doing. He's very smart too. Not only that, he's-_

Amani froze in mid-sentence as her thoughts came to a complete halt.

_Koubun_

Ja'far

_**Of course**_

It was so easy. It was so simple.

_Why _she didn't think of this in the first place was beyond her comprehension.

"Princess Amani?" Ja'far asked in concern.

"Amani." She insisted suddenly. "Just…call me Amani."

Ja'far, surprised but not entirely against this request, nodded. "Then please call me Ja'far in return."

"Thank you for the conversation, Ja'far." Amani thanked him hurriedly, "But I remembered that I have something to do. Please take care of Shion and my brother before I return!"

Before the freckled advisor could add any last words to their conversation, Amani was already out of the door and into the streets of Balbadd.

She knew what to do now.

* * *

Alibaba was stressed.

He had just recently come back from a meeting with Sinbad. Instead of being assured by the powerful man's suggestions and advice, Alibaba found himself in deeper stress.

"_You need to become King?" Telling me something like that…_

"Aladdin, what do you think that I should do?" He wondered hopelessly to his comatose friend. "He's expecting so much from me but I can't take that much responsibility. Not when I messed up so much already."

Of course, no response came from the blue-haired child.

_I need to go outside to clear my mind about this._ Alibaba decided to himself as he stood up. _I need some time. This is all just so sudden. And Ahbmad's plan to make the whole country a slave country…_

"Alibaba."

Alibaba jerked from his deep thoughts to face Shion. The boy gave him a sheepish smile. "Ah, sorry. Did I interrupt you from something? I can come another time if you like."

"No, it's fine." Alibaba assured the child with a small smile. "You didn't interrupt me from anything important. What is it that you want to talk about?"

Shion looked down at his feet. "Well, I heard about Aladdin and wanted to offer some moral support. You were friends with him longer than I was, right? How is he?"

Alibaba's expression sobered. "He's not awake yet."

Shion came over to the magi's bedside. "He'll wake up." He told Alibaba with confidence shining in his eyes. "There is no way that a wonderful friend like Aladdin would leave his friends behind. He's probably saying his last goodbyes to Ugo."

There was a note of certainty in the child's voice that struck to Alibaba as amazing and wonderful. He was a little envious that a child of that age held that sort of optimism even in this terrible situation. "How are you so sure about that?"

"How are you so sure that he _won't_ wake up?" Shion shot back curiously. "How are you so sure that things won't go the way they would? It' natural for mistakes to happen from time to time, but that shouldn't be an excuse to give up halfway. I prefer having faith in my comrades. My important people deserve at least that much, right?"

"Right…"

Shion reached up and patted Alibaba on the head. "Don't stress too much. You overthink on things like Amani. I swear that it's the cause of her premature white hair. She worries too much about the details when all she has to do is…well, do it. Take action. Honestly, leave the consequences for your friends to help you deal with. That's what friends do, right? Help?"

Alibaba envied the simplicity of a child's mind. Shion made it sound so easy. But it wasn't. Not in reality. He swallowed the skepticism he was feeling and patted the eight-year-old on the head. "Thanks, Shion. What you said helped."

"You were thinking that I was being naïve, weren't you?" Shion accused the blonde with a pout. Alibaba felt a stab of panic and immediately denied the child's complaint. "No! I wasn't! Seriously!"

Shion's face did a funny thing then. Alibaba saw Amani make that face from time to time when they were children. It was an expression that Alibaba usually saw in the face of adults when they knew a child did something wrong no matter how sure the child is in being right. It was an expression that made Alibaba feel guilty and embarrassed at the same time.

"Liar."

Alibaba gave Shion a blank look. "Huh?"

"You're a terrible liar, Alibaba. Frankly, you suck at it." The purple-haired child informed the blonde prince bluntly. "I've seen Kougyoku do better than you and that's saying something. Stick to being honest."

"Wait, what?"

"You. Are. Terrible. At. Lying." Shion enunciated slowly. Alibaba bristled at the patronizing tone that the child's voice took on. Who did the kid think he was? He scowled at the younger male.

"But that's not a bad thing." Shion continued, wiping the angry look off of the blonde's face. "You're honest. That's a good trait in a king for his people. Without honesty, there is no trust or love between the king and his people."

Alibaba didn't hide his grimace. "But I'm weak. I couldn't do anything to protect anyone. Ahbmad wouldn't even listen to me."

"That's just his poor judgment, not a fault of yours." Shion brushed off flippantly. "Another reason why he isn't suitable for the throne. _You_, on the other hand, would listen to anyone's opinions before acting." He praised the blonde.

"But I was a coward." Alibaba insisted shamefully. "I almost ran away."

_Again_ went unsaid but he had a feeling that Shion knew what he meant.

Shion looked to the still form of his blue-haired friend as if he held all of the answers. Alibaba wouldn't blame him. Aladdin had that sort of effect on people, young and old.

"I think," he said contemplatively, "you are brave, Alibaba. I learned to believe that true bravery is not lacking fear when facing an opponent but having a great amount of fear in your heart but fighting for what you believe in anyways."

Alibaba stared at Shion in awe, as the child seemed to glow with the sort of brilliance that he saw in Sinbad as he spoke, in Kassim as he took charge, in Amani when she smiled her rare, joyful smiles. "You think I'm brave?"

"Yeah. You just lack power." The child informed Alibaba truthfully. "But power can always be achieved through effort and will, which you definitely have. You have the important things that many people don't have. Don't sell yourself short."

"I guess…"

Shion placed a hand on Alibaba's shoulder. "It's not hard to see why Aladdin chose you."

_Not surprised that Aladdin chose me?_ Alibaba thought in disbelief. Shion laughed. "Do you really not believe that, Alibaba? You know, I meant what I said to Judal back there."

"Really?" Alibaba asked the child hopefully. Shion nodded. "Every word." He promised solemnly. "You are the sort of person that I respect and look up to. Even if you're a bit flawed in some areas."

Shion didn't have the expression of a hero-worshipper. His eyes didn't sparkle and his cheeks weren't flushed. Shion didn't kiss the ground that Alibaba walked on, nor did he beg for lessons to be more like him. But the silent respect that glowed in his blue eyes was far more moving than how Alibaba had imagined being "respected" to be. And it filled him with a sense of calmness that he never thought that he had.

"Thanks." Alibaba told Shion genuinely. "No, really. I'm telling the truth this time. What you said…it helped me. A lot. I needed to hear that."

Shion returned his smile with a toothy grin. "That's good to hear! Now let's go and get something to eat! I'm starving!"

Alibaba grinned and followed his young friend, completely forgetting about his intended outing.

* * *

"Hey! Isn't that Amani? Princess Amani!"

"Yes, yes it is!"

"Princess Amani! How did the discussion go?"

Unintentionally, Amani had replaced Alibaba in his meeting with Kassim.

It was supposed to be the scene when Kassim showed his true colors to Alibaba. It was supposed to be the scene when Alibaba finally got his act together after seeing what his best friend had become. It was supposed to be the scene when Alibaba made his resolve to stop Kassim.

And Amani was ruining it.

"Find a way to save this country already!"

Surprisingly, she didn't give a damn.

As she ran from the outstretching arms of the malnourished, desperate citizens of Balbadd, _her _Balbadd, Amani felt the strong grip of her savior whisking her away from being torn apart by the crowd of the hungry. "Hurry up and get over here, Ghost!"

Amani didn't hesitate.

She took Kassim's hand and ran.

* * *

"Father? It's Shion."

At the sound of his son's voice, Sinbad turned from his discussion with his generals to give him his fullest attention with a wide smile. If someone were to guess that the Sindrian King was happy about the discovery of having a son, they would discover their assumption to be an understatement. Sinbad was _ecstatic._ In his life, many people had told him that he would become many great things. Not for a moment he considered fatherhood to be one of them. He had been firm in his decision in never marrying. He had believed that he would be content with the people of Sindria to be his children.

But then there was Shion.

Without knowing it, the child had taken a shine to Sinbad with his genius and talent. He had felt, the moment the child had defended him in his potentially disastrous meeting with Aladdin and Morgiana, a connection with the child. Shion had reminded Sinbad of himself in his younger years.

Was it that much of a surprise that he turned out to be his son?

_Yes, yes it was._

But not in a bad way

Instead of feeling fear and panic at the discovery, Sinbad had simply accepted that _yes, the boy was his own_. He had unconsciously acknowledged Shion as his kin already days ago. The experience of having a son was more exciting than he thought it would be. Sinbad discovered the thrills of picking out habits and quirks that his son shared with him. He caught himself musing about the things he would give Shion (best clothes, best tutor, best food, best _everything_). He also found himself outrageously happy every time someone referred to Shion as "his son".

But was Shion happy to have him as a father?

The shy smile that the boy wore told him otherwise, but the small, wiggling feeling of insecurity remained despite the insurance. Sinbad retained his smile and beckoned his son over.

Shion came in and, to Sinbad's surprise, dragged Alibaba over with him.

"Alibaba has something to request from you." The child announced with a hint of restrained excitement in his voice. He gave Alibaba an encouraging pat as the blonde stepped forward.

To the Sindrian King's surprise, the insecurity in the Balbadd Prince's brown eyes was no longer there. Now, only determination was set in his eyes and brow. The sudden change in the teen was…unexpected.

"Sinbad, please teach me how to use a djinn! I need power to protect this country!"

* * *

"What are you planning to do?"

The accusation was harsh in Yasmine's mouth. But she was never one to simply hold or tongue in front of her comrades. She waited patiently for the person in front of her to answer.

Shion flicked his blue eyes over her stiff and trembling form before flicking them back into the game board he found in a trash pile.

"Not something dangerous, I assure you. I was simply giving Amani the time window to settle things on her own terms. Besides, wouldn't it be better for Alibaba to find his courage on his own? On the original timeline, he had to face his friend's betrayal to finally snap out of his reluctance. I think this way is better for both of them."

"So it has nothing to do with using Amani at all?" Yasmine's tone became less hard at Shion's honest explanation. The boy-king chuckled and began setting up random pieces onto the board. Those, too, he had found on the streets near a gambling house. "Of course not. I may have been a bit sly in my time as king, but that was only because I was tangled in a great, political battle that I was losing in. I was desperate. Now, I am a child, free of most worries and responsibilities. I can focus on the people important to me. So no, I will not betray or use any of you without your consent."

Yasmine frowned.

"_Without_ our consent?"

"Well yes," Shion mused with a cheeky smile, "how can I turn down a willing participant in this game?"

The masked teen slammed her fist down into the wall next to her. Eyes narrowed behind the bone-mask. "This is not a game, Shion!" She snarled. "I may respect you, but if you are going to treat this whole thing like it's not real then-

"Yasmine." Shion interrupted sharply. "I had spent nineteen years fighting a war that I was born in. _This is all but a game._ Your far-seeing eyes might never see it, but it's the truth. People who fall, people who fight, people who rule, and even me are all pawns that Fate created for a greater purpose."

Shion gestured over to his game board to show a variety of game pieces set up against each other. There were round pieces, there were flat pieces, and, to Yasmine's surprise, there were even some that resembled chess pieces. All were scattered over the board.

"This game has no rules. The pieces have their own mind. A pawn can become a king within a heartbeat. Sides are changed or blurred through time and circumstance. Nothing is absolute." Shion played with a pebble that he had added into his game board. "Life created this event to be a game. We need to be ready to think the way life thinks or else we will never succeed." He raised his eyes to meet the area of the mask where he was sure her eyes were. "Do you understand, Yasmine? I am not being ignorant or arrogant. This is just a way of viewing things. This is _my _way of viewing things."

Yasmine paused to consider Shion's words before nodding wearily. "If you say it like that…"

"But that wasn't the point to your anger, was it? You're thinking that I will consider you four as pawns to my game. Right? Remember this, Yasmine. I will _never_ hurt any of you." Shion vowed with ferocity. "_Never_. Do you understand this, Yasmine? You four are the only friends I can depend on in this world. When I make choices, when I make a move towards 'checkmate', I always consider your safety and wishes."

Yasmine bowed her head in shame for being found out in doubting him. "Yes."

Shion's eyes softened. "You can doubt me however much you want, Yasmine." He assured her teasingly. "I value your straightforward and simple opinions. And don't worry about your suspicions. They will just motivate me in proving myself to you. All of you."

* * *

When Amani reached the abandoned building where Kassim was supposed to drag Alibaba to in the original timeline, she began to walk alongside Kassim. She offered smiles to Hassan and Zaynab and returned the same treatment by her comrades.

"So," she spoke, "this is where you were hiding. Why did you leave?"

Amani knew what his answer would be. But Kassim's response was necessary for her next and most critical move. She waited patiently as he ranted about his hatred towards Sinbad and all the rest of royalty. She responded at the right moments and wore the expressions that elicited the right reactions from the man across from her. Amani made sure to adjust some of Alibaba's original reactions to fit her personality to prevent any suspicion.

It wasn't until Kassim brought up his plan about using the citizens to start a revolution when Amani began changing her responses.

"You do know that you're being manipulated by the Kou Empire, right?"

Her comment was not a lie. Kou truly was manipulating his hatred for their gain. It was very much like them to set up the right elements within a weak country before sitting back and watching it destroy itself. It wasn't as if Amani had learned nothing during her time in Kou.

"No, in fact, you are being manipulated by the Kou _Royalty_."

Baiting him with his hatred seemed to be the safest way for now. Amani knew that even the mention of royals would send Kassim recoiling away from whatever they are involved in. His prejudice went that deep. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the "weapon dealer" shift uncomfortably. Amani felt her heart leap in joy at the small movement. It meant that she was doing this _right._

Kassim's eyes narrowed at Amani's statement. "Ghost…what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that this plan of yours, no matter how successful it will be in your part, will fail once Kou makes whatever move it was planning on making from the beginning. A different action should be taken, something that won't leave this country weak enough for the stronger ones to take over. You don't want to be played by them, do you?"

Kassim appeared convinced. Amani _swore _that she saw the response coming out of the tip of his tongue. Then, the goddamned weapons dealer had to interrupt.

_Of course_

"How should we trust you, Miss? Are you not engaged to a Kou Prince, yourself? How do we know that _you_ are not manipulating us into doing what Kou wants?"

And just like that, all the suspicion was on her.

"Ghost? Is that true?"

"Of course it is!" The weapons dealer insisted before she could defend herself. "Look at her! Royalty to the blood! How are we sure that she isn't loyal to her own kind? Isn't that right, _Princess?_"

Amani had no time for this.

Without answering him, sand shot out of Amani's gourd and wrapped around the Al Thamen member in a tight cocoon. She turned back to Kassim with an angry glimmer in her eyes.

"Before you start pointing fingers at me, remember that I have grown up with every one of you. I would _never _betray my family and friends. Believe me when I say this: Your weapons dealer is a servant of Kou. I would recognize that garb from anywhere." She explained to him calmly as she slowly made a fist with her right hand. The sand cocoon began to shrink, gradually squeezing the person within to death. "You were careless, Kassim."

With a final squeeze, Amani finally allowed her sand to fall away. A tiny doll dropped onto the ground instead of the blood, bones, and skin that everyone had expected to see. "Couldn't even trust you enough to give you weapons in person. That Al Thamen rat." She muttered in disdain while picking the doll up. She crushed it into tiny pieces to ensure its demise.

Amani turned back to Kassim. "Don't trust those dark weapons."

Kassim couldn't answer. He was too shocked to. He, along with everyone else, gaped at the remains of their dealer.

Zaynab was the first to break the silence.

"But how are we supposed to fight without those weapons? They might be provided to us by a shady character, but they're still useful."

Amani felt a sting of annoyance at the woman's comment but forced herself to calm down. She knew the woman was one of the most passionate in Kassim's group. It wasn't surprising. Her younger brother was one of the victims of the plague.

"No. It's best not to use them."

Kassim finally snapped out of his reverie and scowled at her. "What then? Do you expect us just to give up with this small setback? We'll still use the weapons to start the rebellion _and _crush those Kou bastards!"

_(No, no, no, this was not how you were supposed to react.)_

"Even if those weapons were provided for the sake of manipulating you?"

"We won't allow them to manipulate us!"

"Even if those weapons would cause senseless bloodshed within the country?"

"It would not be senseless if it was for a good cause."

"Even if those weapons would require you to take your own life to be even remotely useful?

"Yes!"

"Kassim…"

Amani strode over and _punched him_ without holding back. The strength behind her punch sent him sprawling onto the ground. She grabbed the front of his clothes and hefted him up. "You _fool_. If you throw away your life like that, what would be the point? Glory? Praise? Fame? Don't kid around, you bastard. All you're doing is sending this country into its downfall while adding in your own sorry life into the millions that you are dragging into your rebellion!"

It was more of an Alibaba thing to do, but it seemed like the best option to beat some sense into Kassim's hard head.

Zaynab and Hassan attempted to intervene but stopped at Amani's cold glare.

She turned back to Kassim and gave him another shake. "There are other ways to receive power, you idiot!"

Kassim snarled at her while ripping himself out of her grasp. But he didn't touch her aggressively. She knew with utmost confidence that, even when he was angry with her, he would _never _handle her in a rough manner. (Never again.)

"Then what can we do? Cower? Wait?" He challenged harshly. The animosity of him and the Fog Troupe tainted the air that Amani breathed. It did its best to hold her down and intimidate her. It was very effective and powerful. A whole trained army would have been weary of it.

But it was nothing compared to Fatima's killing intent.

(She died because you screamed. Never again show that you can fear.)

With that thought in mind, Amani stepped forward.

"There _will_ be a rebellion." She began, holding eye contact with her friend. "But no citizen will be involved. No innocent blood will be shed. It will only be you, Alibaba, Zaynab, Hassan, and me."

Kassim looked at Amani as if she were crazy. She didn't blame him. She would have thought of herself as crazy too if she was in his position. Amani took a shaky breath before saying what she had planned to say all along.

"Kassim, Hassan, Zaynab, join me and become my Household Members!"

* * *

_Things change_

_People change_

_Only time remains constant, yet even that moves without thought of what it leaves behind_

_If it were any different, The Blessed Children would have fallen into depravity a long, long time ago for their unwavering wish to change fate._

_But…_

_What they are doing is changing the flow that Al Thamen had pointed this world to. What they were preventing was the world's imminent end and endless darkness. That was not this world's fate. It was their own, created within the darkness that poured from their hearts and souls._

_So, whatever fates Al Thamen touched were open for them to change. Depravity free._

_It was their choice. It was all up to them._

_Why, you ask? _

_Because, the truth was,_

_This world wanted to live just as much as they did too._

_Simple as that._

* * *

Le gasp! It has been revealed! Now you know Amani's master plan to pull Kassim to salvation!

And the father-son moments between Sin and his son! (Awwwww)

Sorry if it wasn't fluffy enough. I'm not too good with fluffs in certain moods. Especially with a semi-awkward duckling like Shion who's mentally already past the stage where he needs his father. Don't worry! That doesn't mean that he won't try! He's actually really happy to have a dad.

The Balbadd Arc is coming to an end (give it about two or three more chapters). Then we'll move onto a flashback arc that gains an insight to what happened in Kou during Amani's time away from Balbadd and the big reveal to her fiancé!

Can't wait~

Don't forget to** REVIEW!**


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